Sunderland head coach Chris Coleman was trying to stay upbeat despite the loss. He felt at times they were the better team and could have won if they had got the first goal.
He told the club website: “The result was more disappointing today than the performance,”
“Tonight, for the first 20-25 minutes we were the better team.
“We were certainly the more exciting team in the final third, we had a couple of opportunities where we could’ve had the first goal.
“That never happened and then we conceded.
“We conceded the second goal before half-time and that really ruined us.
“It was incredibly disappointing. We showed some spirit (in the second period) and we tried to get a goal back.
“We can’t feel sorry for ourselves. It is disappointing because we have lost at home and lost two on the bounce.
“It was another opportunity to pick points up which we didn’t.”