Sunderland boss Martin O'Neill was pleased with how his side coped with big-name absentees during their 1-0 win over Liverpool at the Stadium of Light.
Despite missing the suspended pair of Lee Cattermole and Stephane Sessegnon, the Black Cats claimed the three points thanks to Nicklas Bendtner's second-half goal.
"In a game of very few chances, it was great to get the goal and it eventually proved the winning goal in the match," said O'Neill.
"With the changes that we had to make with influential players out of the team, I couldn't really have asked for much more. It was a great effort by the team."
The win has lifted Sunderland up to eighth in the Premier League table.