Antonio Conte was disappointed but conceded Arsenal deserved to be leading the Premier League after a commanding 2-0 victory at Tottenham.
Arsenal moved eight points clear at the Premier League summit after their first win at their north London rivals since 2014, with Hugo Lloris' inexplicable own goal and Martin Odegaard's strike the difference.
Spurs had their own chances against the league-leading Gunners, with Aaron Ramsdale making fine stops to deny Son Heung-min and Harry Kane amid his seven saves in the match.
Tottenham have conceded at least two goals in five consecutive home league games for the first time since August 1992, but Conte refused to criticise his players after another disappointing showing.
"We wanted to deliver and get a result for our fans because we know how important this type of game is for them," the Spurs head coach told BBC's Match of the Day.
"This game was also important for us and to improve the table. I am disappointed with the result. We started well and started in a strong way and then we conceded a goal.
"Football is strange and sometimes a situation happens, it is very difficult to explain. We had a good chance to equalise with Sonny but the Arsenal keeper made a fantastic save.
"The second goal could kill everybody. I have to be happy with the reaction. They stayed there with their head and mind, and I asked for that.
"In this sort of game you can lose the mind and concede many goals but instead we created chances. We continued to have a good balance and didn't concede great chances.
"We have to be disappointed and for our fans. Arsenal deserve to stay top of the table and fight to win the Premier League. They and Manchester City are the two title contenders."
Tottenham have lost four home Premier League games this season, Conte's joint-highest tally of such defeats in a single league campaign (also 2017-18 with Chelsea and 2007-08 with Bari).
That turgid run of home form, coupled with some underwhelming away performances, has left Spurs five points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United, who have played a game fewer.
Fulham, Brighton and Hove Albion and Brentford are all within four points of Tottenham, and Conte knows a tough challenge awaits in the bid for European football.
He told Sky Sports: "We have to continue to work really hard and we will see our position at the end of the season. Be it the Champions League or Europa League.
"Teams like Chelsea, Liverpool, Man United, Newcastle, also Brighton and Brentford. It is really difficult because every team can spend money and even the middle or lower teams have international players."
The clash at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was somewhat marred by a fan kicking Ramsdale, who had just been confronted by Richarlison, after the full-time whistle.
"I didn't see it. I only see a big confusion and you are telling me now what happened," Conte added.
"If it happened, it is not good. We always have to show respect for an opponent and the players. I don't like it."
Napoli 2-2 Roma: Late Abraham header denies wasteful hosts
A wasteful Napoli were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Roma in Serie A, with a late Tammy Abraham header securing a point for the visitors.
The visitors took the lead from the penalty spot a minute before the hour mark, with Paulo Dybala converting after Juan Jesus fouled Sardar Amzoun.
However, Napoli equalised six minutes later through Matias Olivera's deflected shot, and completed the turnaround with their own penalty six minutes from time as Victor Osimhen tucked away after Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was felled by Renato Sanches.
The hosts could not hold on, though, and were pegged back with two minutes to go. Substitute Abraham's header from a corner was eventually awarded following a VAR review after he had initially been ruled offside.
Data debrief
Napoli remain eighth in the Serie A table on 50 points, the exact amount they had registered after their opening 19 games of last season.
Though his penalty was not enough to earn Roma victory, Dybala continued his impressive start to 2024, during which he has been involved in the joint-most goals in Serie A with 12 (nine goals, three assists).
Lyon are through to their 11th Women's Champions League final after sealing a 5-3 aggregate victory over compatriots Paris Saint-Germain.
The record eight-time winners scored three times in the final 10 minutes of last week's first leg to take a narrow 3-2 lead into the return fixture at Parc des Princes.
However, they were quicker out of the blocks in the second leg, with just three minutes on the clock when Selma Bacha drilled home from range for her first Champions League strike in five-and-a-half years.
Tabitha Chawinga responded before the break to reduce PSG's aggregate deficit to a single goal, but Melchie Dumornay put the tie beyond doubt nine minutes from time, as Sonia Bompastor's side set up a final showdown with Barcelona on May 25.
Data debrief
Lyon continued their dominance over PSG in Champions League semi-final encounters, having now progressed from each of their last four such ties.
The eight-time champions lost their first two semi-finals they contested in this competition, but have now won each of the last 10, and will seek a record-extending ninth title in Bilbao next month.
Alcaraz's pursuit for third straight Madrid Open crown continues by defeating Seyboth Wild
Carlos Alcaraz boosted his hopes of a third straight Madrid Open title as he comfortably beat Thiago Seyboth Wild to reach the fourth round on Sunday.
Back in his home country of Spain, Alcaraz eased to a 6-3 6-3 triumph to set up a fourth-round clash with Jan-Lennard Struff, whom he beat in last year's final.
The first six games of the opening set went to serve, but Alcaraz found a crucial break in the seventh and ninth games of the set to put him in pole position for victory, a lead he would not relinquish as he overcame being broken in the seventh game of the second set to seal his safe progression.
Holger Rune was a surprise casualty as the world number 12 was defeated 6-4 4-6 6-3 by Tallon Griekspoor, though world number eight Andrey Rublev eased through with a straight-sets win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Data debrief
With his triumph over Seyboth Wild at the Madrid Open, Alcaraz has now won 93.3 per cent of his games at the tournament. That is the highest win percentage of any player with at least 10 games played in a single ATP-1000 event since the format was introduced in 1990.
Against Seyboth Wild, Alcaraz won 27 of his 31 first-serve points, also recording 19 winners to his opponent's 10 as he dominated the contest on his way to victory.
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