Mauricio Pochettino hailed the "character" and "spirit" of his Chelsea players after they earned a 1-1 draw at Manchester City.
Although Chelsea had recently defeated Aston Villa and Crystal Palace on their travels, they went to Manchester with City having not lost at the Etihad Stadium since October 2022.
However, the Blues went within eight minutes, plus four minutes of stoppage time, from recording a notable triumph at the home of the defending Premier League champions.
Chelsea had executed their counter-attacking strategy effectively in the first half and City could have no complaints when Raheem Sterling netted the opener against his former club.
The West Londoners also had opportunities to double their lead after half time, yet so did City with regards to getting back on level terms and they were full value for a share of the spoils after Rodri's 83rd-minute equaliser.
Nevertheless, the point for Chelsea will be regarded as another step in the right direction for a side that are eager to secure a return to Europe for 2024-25, whether that be through the Premier League or winning a domestic cup.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Pochettino acknowledged that he was "so pleased" with the performance, admitting that a benchmark had been set for the remainder of the campaign.
The Argentine said, as quoted by football.london: "We scored first. The first half was a very good game. We are so pleased. I think I told the players that I am so pleased and congratulate them; the effort was massive. The spirit we showed today, I think it's the way we want to compete in this way.
"Of course, so pleased because we played against a team that is the best in the world, never easy. And today, the character they showed, the personality the players and the team, it makes me very, very happy."
Pochettino added: "We know very well how Manchester City play here at the Etihad and it's important to sustain the capacity to dominate and force you to play deep. And if you are not brave enough when you have the ball and you force them to run back and make effort, then it's going to be like in the second half, you cannot leave your box or own half.
"For us, it was a really important game to keep the momentum, to realise we are in a good way and improving. Still we are not at the level of Manchester City but that is our aim and of course, we are a very young team that needs this type of game to improve and to create a spirit that we need to show in every single game."
Chelsea sit in 10th position in the Premier League standings, two points adrift of Newcastle United who sit in seventh place and six behind Manchester United in sixth, who play Luton Town on Sunday.
Pochettino's team do not return to top-flight action until March 2 when they make the short trip to Brentford, a consequence of the EFL Cup final against Liverpool on February 25 and FA Cup fifth-round tie with Leeds United three days later. body check tags ::
