Pep Guardiola 'kept Manchester City players locked in dressing room for 50 minutes'

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola reportedly kept his players locked in the dressing room for 50 minutes after Sunday's 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

The Citizens, who had Oleksandr Zinchenko sent off, missed a penalty and a host of other clear-cut chances before ultimately suffering a two-goal defeat to Jose Mourinho's side in the English capital.

According to the Daily Mail, Guardiola kept his squad in the dressing room for almost an hour after the final whistle, although the Spaniard later denied that he had privately criticised his players.

Indeed, speaking to Sky Sports News after the contest, the 49-year-old said: "Never [had he criticised his players], with this performance? I was talking with my staff and my wife, and some of my players. With this performance, it would be a massive mistake to tell them how bad they are. A few times it's happened, and it didn't happen."

City have now lost six of their 25 Premier League matches this season and are 22 points behind runaway leaders Liverpool in the table.

The English champions are next in action at home to West Ham United next weekend and will then face Leicester City on February 22 before the first leg of their last-16 Champions League clash against Real Madrid four days later.