THREE DEFEATS IN the space of a week have taken some of the gloss off a Manchester City side that was being pre-maturely hailed as one of the best club sides of all-time earlier this season.

City missed the chance of sealing the league title when they lost to Manchester United 3-2 at home last week, either side of defeats by Liverpool in the Champions League.

Manchester City will again be without striker Sergio Aguero for their trip to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, which Pep Guardiola said is now the most important game of the season.

"He was injured before the [Liverpool] game but made a huge effort to help us for 10 to 15 minutes", Guardiola said. So we know that.

"Since November and December we have already been champions, when I saw pundits and people say: 'Impossible for City to drop points'".

Mourinho had told them to turn down their music and United players did not forget to the incident as they replayed the scene to their neighbours, The Sun reports. "But it doesn't depend on the United result, it's in our hands, it's up to us to win our games, and we are able to win two games". We have handled the pressure - good and bad situations - all season.

There were encouraging signs in the 3-2 defeat to Arsenal last Sunday and it was good to see Shane Long on the scoresheet for just the second time this season, but Mark Hughes' side still came away empty-handed and time is running out to pull off a great escape.

"We tried to reach the semifinals [of the Champions League], to win the Premier League", Guardiola said. Of course it can happen - in football, in sports.

Guardiola countered any notion that such a scenario is unlikely.

When City won their first Premier League title in 2012, they pulled back an eight-point deficit with only six games left, and Guardiola said: "Of course it can happen, I assure you".

"It can happen, no doubt about that". It's not necessary to say that. Of course it can happen. In the National Basketball Association finals one team recovered from 3-1 down. One year ago Cavaliers won 4-3 against Golden State Warriors, winning three games in a row. We need five points from six games. We have to win two, or one and draw two games. "We have 13 or 14 players for the next game plus the kids". I didn't want to talk to him.

"When the opponent is good, we will congratulate our opponents on beating us, and after learn from that for the next game".

But the Premier League leaders were hard done by, according to their manager, after seeing goals ruled out in both legs, with Guardiola sent to the stands for remonstrating with the referee when Leroy Sane had a goal ruled out at the Etihad Stadium.