Former Arsenal star Paul Merson has named Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola as the greatest manager in Premier League history, placing him ahead of Manchester United icon Sir Alex Ferguson.
Merson explained that Guardiola changed the style and approach of modern football during his years in England. He compared the Spaniard’s achievements with Ferguson’s long spell of success at Manchester United.
Speaking in his Sportskeeda column before Manchester City’s league match against Aston Villa, Merson said: “Sir Alex Ferguson was more about longevity, but Guardiola has truly revolutionised the game.
“I’d rank him as number one if I were to pick the top 5 managers in Premier League history. I would go with – Guardiola, Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp.
“This would be the top five off the top of my head. All of them have dominated the Premier League in the last 20 years,” he said.
Guardiola is expected to leave Manchester City after the club’s final Premier League fixture against Aston Villa. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich manager won six league titles during his spell at the Etihad Stadium.
