Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has criticised the performance of referee Mark Clattenburg during his side's top-four clash with Tottenham Hotspur this afternoon.

Clattenburg awarded the visitors a controversial penalty at the Etihad Stadium, with Raheem Sterling being penalised for a handball when the ball appeared to strike him on his side.

Pellegrini alluded to other controversial incidents in the reverse fixture between the two sides that Clattenburg also officiated, before claiming that the award of the spot kick was a "decisive" moment in their eventual 2-1 defeat.

"More important than my view of penalty is that everyone saw what happened. Unfortunately for us it was the same referee, Clattenburg, as when we lost against Tottenham in the first round with two clear goals offside," Pellegrini told reporters.

"It was a penalty that was decisive for the game. I don't have nothing more to say. For me I don't think it is a good decision to have the same referee but I don't want to talk any more about that. I am finished with the referee.

"I don't want to just talk about the decisions. It was a very close game, a very good game. We made a mistake for the second goal. But that moment, when the referee whistled for a penalty, was a very important moment, we were playing well."

Despite the defeat, City remain six points off league leaders Leicester City after they were beaten 2-1 by Arsenal in another controversial top-four tussle earlier in the day.