Antonio Conte believes Tottenham have taken "a step forward" this season, despite their final chance of silverware being ended by Milan on Wednesday.
Spurs were unable to overturn a 1-0 deficit from last month's Champions League last-16 first leg as they played out a 0-0 draw in the return fixture at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Despite knowing they needed a goal to stay in the tie, Spurs failed to muster a single attempt on target in the first half and only seriously troubled Mike Maignan once all game.
The Milan goalkeeper produced a fine save to keep out Harry Kane's late header, which came after Cristian Romero was sent off for two bookable offences.
It means Tottenham's wait for a trophy of any sort will stretch into a 16th year, with a top-four battle in the Premier League all they have to fight for this campaign.
But after failing to qualify for the Champions League in the past two seasons, and struggling in the Europa Conference League last year, Conte is focusing on the positives.
"If I have to see a positive situation, it's that we had a step forward," he told BT Sport. "We played in the Conference League last year and weren't able to get out of the group.
"Now we took a step forward but it is not enough and if we want to be competitive, we have to fight."
Spurs, eliminated from the FA Cup by second-tier Sheffield United last week, have failed to net in three straight games for the first time since between April and May 2019.
They finished with an expected goals (xG) value of 0.45 in their second leg against Milan, compared to 1.4 for their opponents.
"That is the third game in a row that we were not able to score," Conte said. "I think the game was in the balance. I think we can do much better offensively.
"I speak about the whole team, not only those who play in the front half of the field. We can do much better.
"I can't tell anything negative about the commitment of the players. They gave everything from the start to the end."
Wednesday marked the first time Tottenham have been held to a goalless draw at home in any competition since doing so against Swansea City in September 2017, a run spanning 147 games.
Tottenham, bar Kane's late header, failed to offer any sort of attacking threat and were booed off both at half-time and full-time by their supporters.
"In our mind we wanted to put pressure on them with intensity, but in the first half we found it difficult offensively," Conte said of Spurs' tentative approach.
"We found space to receive the ball and create one-v-ones, but we struggled. We felt a bit of pressure. I think they need to play regularly this type of game to try to improve.
"I think everybody wants to go to the next round. In the first game we lost a good chance. Milan were without important players then, like us.
"We have to continue to work. We have another game that we have to recover for. We have to try to reach the best possible position at the end of the season."
Spurs return to action on Saturday with a home match against Forest in the Premier League, before travelling to Southampton in their final game before the international break.
Conte fumes at VAR after 1-1 draw with Inter
Antonio Conte was frustrated that VAR did not reverse a penalty decision against Napoli as they played out a 1-1 draw with Inter on Sunday.
Hakan Calhanoglu failed to convert the spot kick in question late in the game, with the Turkish international having equalised for the hosts after Scott McTominay's opener.
Despite the decision not affecting the result in the end, Conte criticised VAR for not overruling the referee's decision to penalise Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa for a foul on Denzel Dumfries.
"Can they [VAR] only intervene when it suits them? A decision from the referee like this can transform a match and VAR cannot do anything about it," Conte told DAZN.
"Either VAR is there to correct errors or it is not. If there is an error, it has to intervene. It really angers me, but it does to all coaches. It has to intervene if there is a mistake.
"If there is VAR, it must be used to correct errors or show the referee situations that he did not see. If it's a clear error, and it was, then why should [referee Maurizio] Mariani be allowed to just do that."
Despite his frustration with refereeing decisions, Conte was satisfied with his team's performance, as they held strong against a spirited second-half display from the Italian champions.
"I said that we would not come here to just be sparring partners against the strongest squad in Serie A, so it was important for us to face them with strength, character, accepting duels all over the field," he said.
"On that score, I am very satisfied. It was not easy to play here. We all know that we are making improvements and working hard, otherwise, you don't come to San Siro twice and also against Juventus without defeat.
"The lads are proving themselves, though, of course, we could've done much, much more in terms of quality today. There were too many errors, a lot of technical errors, but I am sure there will be further improvements."
Napoli's point ensured they stayed top of Serie A heading into the international break, moving them to 26 points in what is shaping up to be a tight title race. Conte's side sit one point clear of Atalanta, Fiorentina, Inter and Lazio.
'It's been a long time,' says McKenna after Ipswich stun Tottenham for first league win
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna said it was a 'special' moment for the club after they earned their first Premier League win of the season by beating Tottenham 2-1.
Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap scored for Ipswich before half-time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Though Tottenham reduced the deficit through Rodrigo Bentancur in the 69th minute, the Tractor Boys held on for a famous win.
It was also Ipswich's first win in the Premier League since a 1-0 victory over Middlesborough in April 2002, ending a run of 12 away games without a win (D3 L9).
"I am so proud. It's been a long time for the club, 22 years since the supporters saw a win in the Premier League. The journey to get to here has been a big one," McKenna told BBC Sport after the game.
"It feels a bit special today. We believe we’ve been improving. We had picked up five out of 10 results but were waiting for the first win to validate the work and improvements. It’s a massive moment, one to cherish."
The result was extra special for an Ipswich side, who were denied a win by Leicester City last week through a 94th-minute equaliser from Jordan Ayew, who made it 1-1 at Portman Road.
But Szmodics and Delap – the latter with his sixth Premier League goal of the season – struck in the first half to give Ipswich a two-goal cushion.
'It's just down to me,' says Postecoglou after Tottenham beaten by Ipswich Town
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou took full responsibility after his side suffered a 2-1 defeat to previously winless Ipswich Town in the Premier League.
Sammie Szmodics and Liam Delap gave Ipswich a 2-0 lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Spurs fell short, despite Rodrigo Bentancur returning a goal in the second half.
It was Tottenham's third defeat in their last five matches across all competitions and leaves Postecoglou's side in 10th place in the Premier League with 16 points from 11 matches.
"It's hugely disappointing. We started slow and passively. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb. In the second half, we had chances but didn’t do enough to win the game," the Australian coach told BBC Sport after the game.
His side had also suffered a 3-2 defeat to Galatasaray in the Europa League on Thursday.
The hosts generated an xG of 1.82 on Sunday with five shots on target from 17 attempts, but were unable to take anything from the game.
"It's just down to me, I’m not getting consistent performances from the players. It’s something I need to address. I’m the person in charge, so that’s usually the way it goes. I take responsibility," said Postecoglou.
"We can’t give ourselves those kind of mountains to climb."
When asked about Ipswich's time-wasting tactics, Postecoglou said it is something his players will have to deal with.
"It seems to be the way the Premier League is going. Clubs are taking strategic time-outs. We just have to cop it. It’s up to the officials, not me," he said.
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