Sunderland boss Gus Poyet described his side's 1-0 win over Everton as "incredible".
Poyet's side claimed all three points through Ki Sung-Yueng's 25th-minute penalty, which also saw Tim Howard sent off for a foul.
Sunderland stood firm as Roberto Martinez's side pushed for an equaliser, leaving Poyet delighted with the three points.
"For us, three points is something incredible," Poyet told reporters. "I say it before but Everton are the best team we have played against. Even with 10, I have no doubt.
However, the Uruguayan could not explain why his side only seem to perform against sides in the top half of the division.
He added: "I have no explanation for that. How? Why? We can not blame anyone because we had the chances to beat those around us but always we do something wrong.
"We need to change that if we want to stay up. When we play against the top teams it goes the other way, we defend, the ball doesn't go in, the goalkeeper is man of the match."
Sunderland sit bottom of the Premier League table, three points from safety.
Sam Hughes
