Conte praises Ramsdale and says it's 'really difficult' for Spurs to finish in top four after Arsenal loss

Tottenham boss Antonio Conte believes Arsenal have proven they are 'a very good team' after the Gunners' convincing 2-0 win over his side.

Arsenal were very dominant in the first 45 minutes and handled the pressure from the north London rivals well in the second half.

Aaron Ramsdale was named Player of the Match for his display in goal for the Premier League leaders and Conte praised the England keeper.

The Italian head coach couldn't fault his players' efforts in the loss and thinks it could have been a different game if Ramsdale hadn't been so impressive.

"It was difficult to come back after conceding two goals," he told Sky Sports. "When we conceded first, we had the chance to level the game with Sonny and the keeper made a fantastic save.

"Then they scored the second goal. It could have killed everyone but not my players because in the second half we tried with great effort to score and create problems for Arsenal.< /p>

"The keeper made some fantastic saves today. Arsenal are a tough opponent now, like Man City. Both teams will be in contention for the Premier League title.

"We played against a solid team but at the same time I was not very disappointed with the commitment of my players. They showed a lot of will and desire to try to come back. Sometimes in the past we did, but today their keeper was really good.

"Arsenal turned out to be a very good team. It was not easy for them to play against us in this atmosphere but they have a great balance and suffer in the good moments. They showed a great resilience in the second half.

"When a team does this it means they are ready to fight for the title with Man City. They are the only two teams that can challenge for the Premier League this season."

On whether Tottenham can finish in the Champions League places, Conte said: "We have to keep working very hard and we will see our position at the end of the season. Whether it's the Champions League or the Europa League.

"Teams like Chelsea, Liverpool, Man United, Newcastle, also Brighton and Brentford. It's really difficult because every team can spend money and even the middle or lower teams have international players."< /p>

Conte added to BBC Match of the Day: "We wanted to deliver and get a result for our fans because we know how important this type of game is to them. This match was so important for us and to improve the table. I'm disappointed with the result.

"We started well and started strong and then we conceded a goal. Football is strange and sometimes a situation happens which is very difficult to explain. We had a good chance to equalize with Sonny but the Arsenal goalkeeper made a great save. The second goal could kill everyone.

"I must be happy with the reaction. They stood there with their heads and their minds, and I asked for it. In this kind of game, you can lose your mind and concede a lot of goals, but at the place, we created chances. We continued to have a good balance and didn't concede big 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."

The occasion ended on a sour note after Richarlison took on Ramsdale before a Spurs fan jumped on the billboards to kick Arsenal's No.1 in the back.

On the incident, Conte said: "In this situation, the end result affects everyone. I have to try to have the right consideration. If you have to get emotional, you can be angry for the bad result. Right now you have to be good at analyzing the situation.

"I am not disappointed with the performance, the commitment, the desire and the fight they have shown. We have done it. Sometimes it is enough. Sometimes it is not enough."< /p>

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