Tottenham vs Manchester City: Joe Hart the difference, says 'proud' Mauricio Pochettino

Tottenham 0 Manchester City 1

Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino (Getty Images)

A 'proud' Mauricio Pochettino insisted that his side were unlucky in defeat against Manchester City following the 1-0 reverse on Sunday afternoon.

The result leaves Spurs' slim hopes of securing a Champions League spot in ruin after Sergio Aguero's solitary strike proved to be enough.

Had Joe Hart not been on the pitch, Pochettino believes, the hosts may have come away from the White Hart Lane encounter with more to show for their dominance.

He said: "I feel proud of our players. The performance was very good and we deserved much more. But the effort was brilliant.

"We had three or four chances in the first five minutes, but when you play Manchester City, you need to score when you get those chances.

"Joe Hart was brilliant today. He was the man of the match, and the difference between the teams.

"We had a chance to score from a corner, and there was a good counter attack from City and finish from Aguero."

The former Southampton coach, as has often been the case, later admitted that Tottenham's attack play can sometimes be their downfall.

"Our mentality is to attack the opposing goals. I think we were a little unlucky.

"Aguero is a brilliant player. The chance that he had, he scored. But we are disappointed."