Mauricio Pochettino believes Sergio Aguero and Joe Hart made the difference for Manchester City as Tottenham fell to a 1-0 Premier League defeat at White Hart Lane on Sunday.
City goalkeeper Hart was on top form as he denied Spurs multiple times, while the hosts' poor finishing was punished as Sergio Aguero clinically netted to all but secure Champions League football for City next season.
The defeat leaves Spurs seven points adrift of the top four with three games left to play, though it was a day of mixed feelings for Pochettino given his side's impressive display.
The Argentine coach told Sky Sports: "I feel proud of our players. We deserved more, much more. The difference was Sergio Aguero.
"We were a little bit unlucky because we created more chances than Manchester City, so I'm disappointed for the result but happy for the performance.
"We managed the tempo of the game but you need to score and we didn't score. It's difficult to explain. Our performance was good but we were up against Joe Hart."
Eric Dier was among those Spurs players to go close on Sunday, with the young defender left to rue a simple early miss before City went ahead.
Dier told the club's official website: "It's frustrating. We played well for majority. They had spells but we played well. We missed chances which is disappointing.
"If you don't take your chances, that's what happens -- especially against the big teams. I should have scored the header. I'm disappointed with myself. I should have scored."
Information from the Press Association was used in this report.