Swansea caretaker manager Alan Curtis felt his side deserved more after their late defeat by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Curtis replaced the departed Garry Monk on Wednesday, taking interim charge of Swansea for the third time in his career having previously stepped in for Jan Molby in 1997 and Brian Flynn in 2004.
Substitute Bafetimbi Gomis fired in a 90th minute equaliser for the Swans after Wilfried Bony's first-half header had given City the lead, but Kelechi Iheancho's deflected winner earned three points for the home side.
Gylfi Sigurdsson had a goal disallowed in controversial circumstances shortly before Gomis' leveller, and the Swansea manager admitted his players were left deflated after City struck late in such fortunate fashion.
"I think we certainly deserved to get something out of the game, and certainly when we equalised I thought we were going to hang in there," Curtis said. "I think overall we created more chances, but that's the difference between teams at the top of the league and the bottom.
"We've been struggling for form, but as I told the players after the game, that's the standard we have to set between now and the end of the season. If we can do that, we've shown everybody today what a good team we can be."
Sigurdsson's strike five minutes from time was ruled out by referee Bobby Madley after Gomis made contact with City 'keeper Joe Hart, and Curtis believes the goal should have stood.
"Yes, I did [think Sigurdsson's goal was legitimate], I've not seen it again," Curtis continued. "We thought it was going to be given, I think it was given for a foul on Hart.
"If it was, I think it was a real sort of touch and go incident. I thought we deserved an equaliser at that point, and the main thing for us is disappointment, but we can look back with a little bit of pride at the way we performed."
Curtis opted to leave Gomis out, starting with Andre Ayew, Wayne Routledge and Sigurdsson in attack, and the caretaker manager was pleased with the reaction he got from the striker.
"That has been part of the problem over the last 11 or 12 games, we literally haven't scored enough goals and obviously Gomis has shown the qualities he has got," Curtis said.
"I thought it was a terrific finish. As we said to the players on the team performance, that's the standard now, and for individual players too, Gomis has come on and shown what he can do. He has to repeat that between now and the end of the season.
Sky Sports News HQ has reported Swansea are hoping to appoint their new boss early next week and are currently drawing up their shortlist, and Curtis has not had any indication on when the decision will be made.
"It's one of those things, you just carry on," he continued. "It could be the early part of next week, in time for next Saturday, or maybe in a week or so time.