Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa took a point each from Monday night's match between the two sides, drawing 1-1.
The hosts led through Emmanuel Dennis, but were pegged back by Ashley Young in a match where both teams seemed determined not to lose.
Here are the main takeaways from the clash.
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Forest can build on the point
It is true that The Villains have not had the best start to the campaign and sit in 16th place in the Premier League table.
However, they are now unbeaten in their last four outings, and leaving a match against an established top flight team with something to show for it will have pleased Reds boss Steve Cooper.
With just five points from their opening nine games in the league, Forest have been in desperate need of points, and even though they need to win, a point gives them something to work with.
The Reds took the lead with a set piece through Dennis, and were able to have spells in the match where they competed and proved their worth.
Having lost their previous five games before Monday night's draw, Cooper will be pleased to have something to work with ahead of their tie away to Wolves on Saturday.
The Englishman may even feel he has a better idea of who his best squad is, having signed 21 players in the summer transfer window following their promotion.
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A better defensive showing from The Reds
It was also a much-improved defensive showing from Nottingham Forest.
In their previous five games before facing Villa, The Reds had conceded 18 goals, which is way too many to be considered competitive at the top level.
Up against Steven Gerrard's side however, Forest showed their worth, and it took a wonderfully taken strike from range by Young to beat Dean Henderson in goal.
Whilst their opponents had the ball in offensive areas often, Villa were unable to create any big chances, meaning the hosts did what was needed to secure something from the match, let alone trying to avoid an onslaught as they had been in recent weeks.
Confidence and consistency has clearly been an issue at the City Ground, and with Cooper being awarded with a new deal in midweek and a positive result against Villa, Reds fans will hope to see the start of a recovery from their side.
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The Villains struggled to create clear-cut chances
In contrast, it was a sorry showing from Aston Villa who will need to consider how they managed to produce so little from the match.
An out of sorts Forest side was the perfect opportunity for Villa to get their season started, and whilst they have not lost since August now, there seems to be more of a fear of losing than desire to win at the club.
The Villains tried several different approaches in order to create chances, looking their most dangerous just after the interval when they attempted to exploit the flanks.
The visitors also made sure to try different personnel in attacking areas to create chances.
While Ollie Watkins, Emi Buendia and Philippe Coutinho all started, Cameron Archer and Danny Ings both represented offensive changes by Gerrard.
Despite this, apart from an individual moment of magic from Young, Villa created no real meaningful openings throughout the match.
The recent attacking record at the Midlands club is concerning, with The Villains hitting the back of the net just seven times in nine league games so far this campaign.
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Gerrard remains under pressure
For many reasons, fans are beginning to lose interest in the former Liverpool midfielder, who has been the manager at Aston Villa since November of last year.
There appears to be no real identity in the team currently, and the fear of trying to win games gives worrying signs, suggesting the issue stems either from a lack of confidence or faith in Gerrard or not wanting to lose.
If a fear of losing is what it holding the players back, Aston Villa will suffer more as a team if Gerrard tries to ensure he is not sacked by delivering draws, than by trying to win and sometimes failing to do so.
There is no doubt that on paper The Villains have a far stronger squad than one which would be expected to be in 16th in the Premier League table.
With no real improvement since his appointment, Gerrard's position at the helm of the club is still under threat.