Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino was reluctant to say they were the better team after their FA Cup semifinal defeat to Manchester City.

Bernardo Silva struck City's winner on 84 minutes, with Chelsea's penalty call for a hand-ball against Jack Grealish denied by VAR.

Pochettino later said: "Yeah (Chelsea were the better team), but in football the most important thing is to be clinical and to not concede. We competed well, I cannot say we were the better side because that in football is difficult to measure.

"The most important thing is we competed. Competing in this way, we need to take positives from the game. This type of group of players needs this type of moments in games. Now it's about to take the positive things and try to build in the things that we need, the areas we need to improve. Now is the time to finish the season in the best way and then to speak about how we can be better next season.

"Tactically, it is not a problem. You cannot today be good and then the last eight months you didn't know how to manage the tactical situation. It's about the whole things. We need time to improve as a team. We need to assess after nearly 10 months, in the way we are going to assess the group, the squad and then make the decision on how we can improve in different areas to be strong and compete better and better and better. And then we need to reduce the gap to Manchester City because it is clear they are one of the best teams in the world."

On the penalty, he added: “I don't know. I think you had a better view. From the touchline, it was difficult to see if it was a penalty. I was talking [to the referee] because after Jesus [Perez] and my staff said it was a penalty. I only said to him, 'Why not go and check the penalty on the TV?'. I think from what I saw, [he nods his head to say it was a penalty], but move on."