Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has described Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca as one of the best managers in the world.
He said the Italian is not receiving the credit he deserves for the work he is doing at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea suffered a shock 3-1 defeat at the hands of Leeds United in midweek, which saw the Blues fall nine points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Some pundits are now saying that it would be difficult for the West London side to catch up with Arsenal at the top of the league table.
Before their shock defeat to Leeds United, Chelsea had hammered Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League and held the Gunners to a 1-1 draw despite playing with 10 men for an hour.
But as Maresca tried to rotate his team, making five changes for the trip to Elland Road, it proved costly.
Guardiola, however, believes his former assistant is one of the best in the job.
Speaking to the press ahead of this weekend’s matches, Guardiola said: “…Look what happened after Leeds. One of the best managers in the world, Enzo Maresca. I know him quite well, but the job he has done at Chelsea does not get enough credit.
“Winning the Club World Cup, Conference League, and qualification for the Champions League in a league that is so tough with a young team, it is exceptional. And he rotated, and look what happened?
“You are able to win games, games, games, and after you lose, lose, lose. It only happens in this league, in this country. It can happen.”
Chelsea will want to return to winning ways when they face Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.