Eric Dier conceded Tottenham only had themselves to blame after a late collapse at bottom-of-the-table Southampton meant they were forced to settle for a 3-3 draw.
Spurs led 3-1 with 13 minutes remaining, but Theo Walcott got a goal back for Saints before James Ward-Prowse converted a stoppage-time penalty after Pape Sarr was adjudged to have fouled Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Antonio Conte appeared to be furious at the decision, but Dier acknowledged the result should have already been put to bed by that point of the match.
"We only have ourselves to blame," the Spurs defender told Premier League Productions.
"Sloppy mistakes. We lost possession easily and didn't have control of the game at 3-1 when we should have.
"We conceded really poor goals and should not let them back into the game. They lost both their centre-backs [to injury] and we should have caused them a lot more problems."
The draw for Spurs on Saturday means Manchester United and Newcastle United continue to hold the upper hand in the race to secure a Premier League top-four finish.
Spurs are a point behind Erik ten Hag's side having played two games more, while they lead Newcastle by just two points, despite the Magpies holding two games in hand.
"There will be lots of ups and downs for everybody fighting for top four and relegation," added Dier.
"It will definitely go down to the last couple of weeks of the season, and we need to find some consistency."
Ward-Prowse held his nerve to score past ex-Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster, capping an influential performance that had seen him rack up a game-high five key passes prior to the vital spot-kick.
"Yes, there was a lot of pressure," he said about the penalty.
"I know Fraser very well, he used to be my next-door neighbour, so I've taken a few penalties against him in my garden with my little boy, so we have something going on there."
Asked if Saints can avoid relegation, he replied: "Of course. You have to have belief. We're in the mix, and we have to be positive and look up the table."
And Southampton manager Ruben Selles was thrilled to take momentum into the break in club action.
"You know the feeling when you go to the international break that you did something big," he said.
"It feels great, and we need to take all that we can from it; it is a great moment. The players showed character. It feels great and I'm very proud.
"I don't think we deserved to be 3-1 down, but we showed character and the crowd helped us. Once we scored the second one, we had all the energy.
"The players want to fight for each other."
Nashville SC v San Jose Earthquakes: ‘A win would change everything’ - Godoy
Anibal Godoy insists that Nashville are already looking at their game against San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday as a must-win.
Nashville have won just once in the MLS this season and sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference after a run of four without a win.
The Earthquakes, meanwhile, are bottom of the Western Conference having lost eight of their matches and recording just one win.
Godoy is aware of how their poor start to the season could affect their playoff hopes later down the line but is confident that Nashville can turn things around.
He said: “For us, it's an important week. It's a day we have to win, or we'll start to feel the pressure from other teams as they start to separate in the table.
“This league is long but if we want to get to the playoff you have to win games early on, especially at home.”
Liverpool agree compensation deal for Slot
Liverpool and Feyenoord have reached an agreement in principle over a compensation deal for Arne Slot to become the Reds’ manager next season, according to widespread Dutch media reports.
The Dutchman is reportedly poised to take over from Jurgen Klopp, who announced in January that he would be leaving the club at the end of the campaign.
Slot led Feyenoord to their second Eredivisie title last season after taking over the club in 2021.
It is believed that he topped the list of Liverpool’s favoured candidates due to his attacking playing style and ability to develop players.
Former Liverpool midfielder, Xabi Alonso, who led Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title, and Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim were also reported contenders to take over from Klopp.
Slot had already confirmed his interest in managing in the Premier League, both earlier this week and previously when he was linked to Tottenham in 2023.
QPR 4-0 Leeds United: Shock loss for Farke's men seals Leicester's promotion
QPR thrashed Leeds United 4-0 in the Championship on Friday, ensuring Leicester City booked their promotion straight back to the Premier League.
Ilias Chair was the star for the Hoops as he scored the opener and assisted two more goals to ensure QPR will stay in the Championship for another season.
Lucas Andersen, Lyndon Dykes and Sam Field also got their names on the scoresheet in an emphatic win for Marti Cifuentes' side.
Leeds' heaviest defeat of the season was a huge blow in the race for an automatic promotion spot, with Ipswich Town just one point behind them in third place with two games in hand going into their away clash against Hull City on Saturday.
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