Brighton boss Graham Potter has been hailed as "one of the best English managers I have met" by none other than his Manchester City counterpart Pep Guardiola.

The Spaniard paid the notable compliment to the 45-year-old following his team's 5-0 win at the Amex Stadium on Saturday night and he thinks that Potter will make the Seagulls even better if given time to do so by the club's board.

As per The Argus, Guardiola said: "It is the first season for Graham. The manager will need time. Graham is one of the best English managers I have met in the country with all respect to the other ones.

"He is and will be a successful manager because I have noticed how he is as a human being and as a manager. I am a big fan of the managers who try to play their own way and not just wait for circumstances or one moment to win the game.

"Sometimes you need more time because the way he wants to try to play is attractive, is seductive but it’s not easy. I’m pretty sure next season if the club follow him, he is going to build."

Potter has so far had a reasonably impressive first season in charge of Brighton, who are 15th in the table on 36 points, five clear of the relegation zone with three matches left to play (as per premierleague.com).

At the same stage last season, the Seagulls were 17th on 34 points and only three clear of the drop, while are 35 games of their first Premier League campaign in 2017/18 they also had 36 points and were 13th but only four ahead of the relegation places. That points to slight improvement under the current manager.

Potter has also made Brighton slightly more potent and better defensively than they were at the same stage of last season, when they had scored 32 goals and conceded 54. They have so far found the net 36 times in the 2019/20 Premier League and shipped 52 goals, another sign of his progress with the Seagulls.

While Manchester City comfortably won both meetings with the Sussex club this season, Potter has been close to getting one over on Guardiola in the past. His Swansea side stormed into a 2-0 lead against Manchester City in last year's FA Cup, only for the Premier League club to score thrice in the final 20 minutes and squeeze through (as per BBC).

Potter has made some gentle steps forward with Brighton this season and, assuming they don't implode in their final three games and lose their Premier League status, they can feel that they have made some progress under the Englishman this season.

For a manager like Guardiola, who has won 29 trophies in his career (including eight league titles and two Champions Leagues) to describe the Seagulls boss as one of the best English managers that he has encountered is a tremendous compliment, and the signs from the current campaign are that Potter could make further strides with Brighton if he is shown patience by the club's board.

Brighton fans, what did you make of Guardiola's praise of Potter? Have your say by commenting below!