Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho has claimed that his side deserved a point from their 1-0 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday.

Roberto Firmino scored the only goal of the game as the Reds took another major stride towards a first league title in 30 years, extending their lead at the top to 16 points having now made the best start to a campaign in the history of Europe's top five leagues.

Spurs had a couple of clear late chances to become only the second team to take points off Liverpool in the league this season, though, and Mourinho was pleased with how his injury-ravaged side performed against a team he rates as the best in the world.

"I think we deserved [a point]. That's why I have a good feeling with the boys. I think we tried everything. You're speaking about probably the best team in the world in the maximum of its potential. Even in conditions to play the big FA Cup match with a second team, and we are a team with the difficulties that you know," Mourinho told reporters.

"I think we deserved more than what we got. I have only reasons to be proud with the players. Positives - lots of positives from the players, lots of positives from the team - a team in great difficulties in this moment without many solutions.

"[It is] difficult to try to create a puzzle to compete against such a good opponent, so I have only reasons to be happy about the work we did during the week and what the boys did in the game."

The result leaves Spurs in eighth place, now nine points adrift of the Champions League spots having accrued just four points from the last five games.