Gus Poyet was relieved to take a point from Sunderland's clash with Tottenham after admitting his side had been second-best during Saturday's 2-2 draw at the Stadium of Light.
Spurs coach Mauricio Pochettino lamented his side's lack of a finishing touch as the Black Cats twice battled back from behind to claim a share of the spoils, but Poyet was delighted with his players' desire to battle back in a tough encounter.
"Yes, I am [happy]," he told reporters after the game. "It was the hardest game we have played so far and the best team we have played against by far. It was a really, really hard day for us.
"It was a proper point, one that you needed to work really hard to get, so yes, I am happy. That was the big positive today. The players on the pitch kept going, they tried, they fought, they tackled and they came back into the game doing the right things as well.
"It was a hard day and I am sure that Mauricio Pochettino is disappointed that he didn't win -- but that's the Premier League.
"If you stay in the game and you believe in what you do and you are a good group of people playing together, you are going to always have a chance to get something from the game."
The Black Cats are yet to win a Premier League game this season -- they have three draws and one defeat to their name to date -- but Poyet is not overly concerned, and says Saturday's draw can be a catalyst for good results.
"The more we talk about the win that we haven't got yet, the more difficult it is going to become," he said. "Me, I can see it the other way around: we have lost one game in five.
"I depends how you see it. I don't want to be one war or the other, I just think today, it was a really, really good point to take.
"If we fight the way we fought today, if we are concentrated and we don't concede the kind of crazy goal that we conceded, we will have a chance against other teams to get that win that we need."