Wednesday 14 December 2016 23:48, UK
David Moyes praised his Sunderland players for their hard work despite a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on Wednesday night.
The Premier League leaders extended their winning run to 10 matches thanks to Cesc Fabregas' first-half winner at the Stadium of Light.
But the visitors failed to put Sunderland away, and the Black Cats had late chances to snatch a dramatic equaliser through Jason Denayer and Patrick van Aanholt.
Moyes was pleased with how his side battled against the league's in-form team, and admitted he thought Van Aanholt had grabbed a point before Thibaut Courtois intervened.
"The players deserve a pat on the back for their effort and for how they tried to play against a good team like Chelsea," Moyes said.
"The players gave everything, they gave the best they could. In terms of quality, we weren't at the same quality as Chelsea, but in terms of effort, trying to stay in the game and resilience, those were all really good.
"I just thought we were maybe going to get one. We had threatened and the goalkeeper made a great save from Adnan [Januzaj] with his feet, and right in the last minute from Pat.
"I thought it was in actually, and it would have only got us a point but it would have been a really good point to get against Chelsea."
Before the game, Sunderland chief executive Martin Bain admitted Moyes will have "very limited funds" to strengthen in the January window despite the club's position at the bottom of the table.
"The job is to work with the tools we have got," Moyes said. "We have got the squad, they have been here before and done it before so we get this squad to win the games.
"If they keep performing like they did tonight - in some aspects, not all - it will give us a chance.
"We have been disappointing in one or two games but not that many. We have been in the games and in with a chance, and tonight we were in the game and in with a chance."
