The manner of Tottenham's late defeat at Liverpool on Wednesday was painful for Jose Mourinho.
However, while losing - and losing the leadership of the Premier League - was an undoubted blow, in another sense the whole match was a triumph for the Portuguese.
First versus second, everything on the line, a chance to execute a gameplan which came so close to working perfectly, and the opportunity to dominate the pre and post-match debate. It was what Mourinho meant when he talked about the dugout being his natural habitat when he took the Tottenham job in November last year.