Everton manager Ronald Koeman ready for clash against 'friend' Pep Guardiola

Ronald Koeman says he will put his friendship with Pep Guardiola to one side when Everton travel to Manchester City on Saturday.

Koeman played alongside Guardiola for five years at Barcelona during the early 1990s, with both forming part of the famous 'Dream Team' that won the European Cup at Wembley in 1992.

The pair struck up a close relationship during their time together at the Nou Camp, and remain friends to this day, but Koeman insists his side's trip to the Etihad Stadium will be strictly business.

"We are really strong friends and now it is easy because he is living in Manchester," the Everton manager said. "Sometimes we have dinner, talk about football and talk about life.

"He was really interested in the way we play football in Holland. I see a lot in the teams managed by Pep about Dutch football, I like that because it's the most difficult way to win. (It's) sometimes risky.

"Most of the other managers win titles, but not with that football. I wish them the best but not on Saturday."

City, the current Premier League leaders, are aiming to bounce back from their first defeat of the season, a 2-0 loss suffered at Tottenham prior to the recent international break.

But Koeman said: "They're very good, maybe not last week against Spurs, but impressive in the way they play.

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"I saw them against Borussia Moenchengladbach, it's a good job to see the difference to how they played last year. 

"We have seen some good examples of how to get results against City."

Everton have enjoyed a superb start to life under Koeman and currently sit in fifth spot, having lost just one league match under the Dutchman. 

The Toffees are likely to come up against John Stones for the first time since his £50m summer move from Goodison Park to City and Koeman is hoping his players can have some joy against their former team-mate. 

"He [Stones] is part of the philosophy of the coach," he said. 

"I think that is one of the good qualities of John Stones. He is really a player who can open the game with his passing from the back.

"Sometimes it's difficult because they are defending with a lot of space behind, if we can break that then we can make it difficult."

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