City must learn from defeat - Pep

Cape Town - Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola finds nothing abnormal in his team's 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur but wants the side to learn from Sunday's loss and put their Premier League campaign back on track.

City could not cope with the intensity, pace and pressing of Spurs, ending Guardiola's hopes of becoming the first manager to win his first seven Premier League matches.

"We had problems; they were one step in front of us and we have to learn from that. Do I have regrets about my decisions? Maybe yeah. But we will learn so it doesn't happen again," Guardiola told reporters.

"I never thought that we would not lose a game. It is normal to the process; sometimes it happens and it can help us improve. At the end of the season you can win and still realise that you are not perfect."

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss believes Spurs, who now sit second in the standings, are strong contenders for the league title.

"They were fighting for the Premier League last season. We knew how aggressive they are. If you watch last season they were there," Guardiola said.

"Can they also win the league? Why not? There are many teams that can achieve that and Tottenham is one of them."

City, who remain top of the table, host Everton on October 15.