Jose Mourinho has admitted that Southampton were the better side against Tottenham in Wednesday's FA Cup fourth-round replay, where Spurs won 3-2.
A Jack Stephens own goal opened the score for the hosts but Southampton rallied from behind, equalising through Shane Long before Danny Ings gave the Saints the lead in the 72nd minute.
However, Lucas Moura equalised just six minutes later and extra time was avoided following Son Heung-Min's penalty a few minutes before the final whistle.
Speaking after the match, Mourinho admitted that the Saints were the better side but remained adamant that his side deserved to win following their fightback.
"I have to honest and I think the best team lost, the best team on the pitch lost," he told BT Sport.
"But the team with more heart, the team where the players went to their limits, the team that had so many difficulties even to build a team, a team that on the bench the options were not options to change the game.
"Even Dele, in so difficult conditions, so I think my team deserved to win. The best team lost but my team deserved to win.
"From the beginning I could feel immediately by the intensity level, conditions, freshness, they were much stronger than us. We tried to organise a team with the players that we had available and we started with a back three, they controlled us well.
"I think the moment Dele comes into the game, I changed to a back four with Gedson [Fernandes] on the right, is the moment where we improved but we concede a goal.
"We conceded a goal from an attacking corner for us, in transition, where Dele Alli doesn't want to get a yellow card, he knows that one yellow card in the FA Cup, he'd be suspended for the next match, I think that was on his mind.
"But probably, no next round for us. But they score, the team was there 4-4-2, Gedson done well, Dele for the first time we had a link with the two attacking players so this was like trying to build a puzzle where some pieces were missing, we were very, very short.
"Again, I think they deserve that I say the best team lost, they deserve that I say that, but I think my players also deserve that I say we deserve to win because we fought to our limit."
