The Citizens enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession but were punished by a Tottenham side who were set up to cause problems on the counterattack.
Heung-Min Son gave the hosts a surprise lead inside the opening five minutes and that was Spurs' only shot on goal in the first 59 minutes as Mourinho's side soaked up City’s pressure.
Argentina midfielder Giovani Lo Celso doubled Mourinho’s men’s advantage on the 65th minute mark and that was enough to inflict City’s third defeat of the season.
"It could be better, we played similar to how have all season. We did not defend good for the first goal. They then defended so deep, they defended with six and it was not easy,” the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach told BBC Sports after the game.
"We had our chances, but we couldn’t score and they made two or three chances on the counter attack and we lost the game.
“We knew before the game that you cannot give them the first goal. We had more chances and than them but we lost. Mourinho’s teams are like this, you make a mistake and they punish you on the counter attack.
"It is not easy Harry Kane and Ndombele are on halfway, the space is so difficult, our possession play was good, but football is the boxes and that is where we were not good."
Next up for City is a Champions League game against Olympiacos on Wednesday before entertaining Burnley in the Premier League at home on Saturday.
