Al-Ettifaq manager Steven Gerrard hailed his side’s performance despite dropping points against Al-Ahli on Saturday.
The Dammam-based side travelled to Jeddah to take on Roberto Firmino’s Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League’s eighth round.
Having earned convincing wins over Damac, Abha, and Al-Tai in the last three weeks, Gerrard’s side were hoping to extend their winning run against Al-Ahli.
However, their momentum came to a halt on Saturday evening as both teams shared the spoils in a goalless draw at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium.
The result meant that Al-Ettifaq managed to hold their position in the league table at fifth place with 17 points, just three behind leaders Al-Hilal.
“It was a tough game away from home,” Gerrard said in the press conference after the game. “I think they have a lot of quality players upfront.
“But my players were also exceptional today and controlled the game in some spells. We were close to scoring on some occasions and nearly had three points after chances from Dembele and Gini [Wijnaldum].
“We tried to remain organised and not concede any goals today, which we succeded in doing and I thank the players for that,” he added.
The former Rangers boss also took the time to praise the Saudi Pro League and expects the competition to continue growing in the years to come.
“I think everyone now knows about the league and I am excited to be part of this long-term project,” he continued. “There is still room for improvement to start making comparisons with the top leagues in world football.”