Tony Pulis has confessed that West Bromwich Albion were far from their best in this evening's 2-0 defeat to Arsenal.
The Baggies were two down before half time and unable to truly force their way back into the contest in North London following Alexis Sanchez's double.
Pulis admits that playing on a Thursday night did not exactly help his side's preparations, but is hoping to now pick his players up ready for an equally tough test at Tottenham Hotspur in four days' time.
"We were off it tonight," he is quoted as saying by BBC Sport. "The players have given me everything this year. We have played well at all of the big teams this year but not tonight. Sometimes you have to take defeat on the chin.
"This is the first time we have played on a Thursday night so we will look at the preparation. It's also the first time as a manager I've had to play on a Thursday.
"You can look at things, say this should have happened and that should have happened but the important thing is we dust ourselves down and get on with the next game. It will be a tough game at Spurs on Monday."
West Brom remain 15th in the league table, sitting 10 points above the relegation zone and four off the top half with just four games left to play.
