Swansea City were unfortunate to drop points on Tuesday night, letting a slender 1-0 advantage slip only in the dying moments of their game against West Bromwich Albion.
However, despite Salomon Rondon's stoppage time strike securing a 1-1 draw for the Baggies, the Swans' boss Francesco Guidolin is upbeat about the result and, more so, the performance.
Had his team emerged victorious, it would have been their third successive win in the Premier League so, even though they did not manage to achieve this, they are certainly moving in the right direction - one which is taking them away from the relegation battle.
Plenty of good signs
After the game, Guidolin was calm and accepting of the draw, simply stating to the club's website that "football is like this."
Whilst he was "disappointed" with the late dropping of points, he admitted he remains "optimistic" as he had "watched [his] team play very well."
Swansea took the lead just past the hour mark, with Gylfi Sigurdsson on target with a precise finish. However, it was a lead they could not maintain due to Rondon's late intervention.
Guidolin recognised that the point was a good one though as "West Brom are a good, strong team and are difficult to beat [at home]."
He could be pleased with the manner in which the result was claimed too, saying his team played "quick" and had "good ball possession," which he "like[d]."
"We played good football and this is a good moment for Swansea," he continued, but the boss still understands that the situation is not ideal, with them just two places and five points above the drop. This gap could be cut to two points as well if Newcastle United beat Everton tonight.
"Football is dangerous," Guidolin said, recognising that his side could still be sucked back into the bottom three. "Saturday, we have another difficult match," with the Swans to face Crystal Palace, but the boss is keen to win in his first home game and goes into the fixture with his side having claimed seven of the last nine points available.
"The table is not good at the moment, but we work to improve that."
Paloschi makes an impression
Another bright spot in the Midlands on Tuesday was the performance of new signing Alberto Paloschi, who came off the bench just before half time to make his debut - replacing the concussed Ki Sung-Yeung.
The Italian striker was involved in Sigurdsson's goal and hit the post late on, showing many promising signs following his £8 million move from Chievo last week.
Guidolin was happy with how his new player did, saying he was "positive" for him, especially in his first game. "He's just arrived," he added, "but he has a lot of passion and enthusiasm."
With the goals having dried up for Bafetimbi Gomis and André Ayew not a natural centre-forward, the fans will be pleased to have seen Paloschi make an impact, as is the manager.
“This is a dream for him," Guidolin concluded. "I am sure he will be a good player for us.”