Drawing a football match will routinely stimulate one of a few contrasting reactions - annoyance and relief being two.
Manchester United taking a single point away from their trip to face Chelsea on Saturday evening, however, necessitated a reaction slightly more unusual. There was, of course, a sense of frustration that they didn't win the match, but there was no abject anger.
It helped that they drew level in the very closing stages of second half additional time, ending the affair on a high note. But, on the whole, it was a somewhat scarce case of, in the words of Bruno Fernandes, "a good point" being earned.
There were plenty of positive aspects to take away from the fixture, which meant levels of frustration at failing to take away a deserved victory weren't remotely substantial. Instead, the mood aligned itself more with that experienced after a victory.
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For United, victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the midweek prior was a tough act to follow. Afterwards, Erik ten Hag said such a performance - arguably United's most complete in years - "has to be the standard" at the club.
Ten Hag, despite concerns surrounding fixture congestion in the lead-up to the mid-season Qatar World Cup, only made the sole alteration to the side that convincingly beat Spurs as Christian Eriksen replaced Fred. It was a marker of United's attacking intent, and that intent translated into their performance.
From the outset against Chelsea, there were no signs of the saga surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo's banishment from the matchday squad serving as a distraction for United. Ten Hag's side played with the same purpose that was a major staple of their laudable display against Spurs.
It wasn't the first meeting between Ten Hag and Graham Potter this term, with the latter coming out on top on the first occasion as his Brighton & Hove Albion side beat United 2-1 at Old Trafford on the opening weekend of the Premier League campaign. Since, Potter has departed Brighton and replaced the sacked Thomas Tuchel as Chelsea manager, maintaining an unbeaten run with his new side.
For a long while on Saturday, United looked in a good vein in terms of curtailing Potter's lossless record.
They had starved the supply to Spurs' forward pair when facing Antonio Conte's back five set-up consisting of three midfielders only a few days previously. Chelsea's five-man defence formation offered a different prospect with only two central midfielders, but Ten Hag's approach and his side's ability to adapt to different opposition saw United control proceedings in midfield.
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United had the majority of meaningful possession in the early stages of the encounter, sustaining their foothold courtesy of continued proactivity. Rather than faltering, there was a clear sense of United encompassing confidence often not apparent in matches against higher echelon sides.
They took the game to their opposition instead of being content with defending and awaiting counter-attacking opportunities - they were happy to keep the ball, working hard to promptly win it back through a developing counter-press whenever possession was ceded. The only criticism was a level of creation inferior to that against Spurs, with an occasional sense of hesitation inside the final third which juxtaposed the overall conviction within the performance. But, while clear-cut chances weren't engineering in an abundance quite as high as that against Spurs, United still plugged away and were able to pick up pockets inside the final third through consistent approach play consisting of shifting the ball at pace.
Marcus Rashford was once again a particular threat in his striker role, providing lots of movement that saw him find dangerous areas in attacking positions. He was the main source of United's opportunities when they were able to break down Chelsea's five-man back line, yet he continued to embody his side's inability to convert after incisive attacking moves.
United's control of proceedings on the whole was to such an extent that Potter was forced into making a tactical substitution in only the 36th minute, with Mateo Kovacic introduced as an additional midfielder in place of wing-back Marc Cucurella.
Casemiro had once again been a commanding presence in midfield - he contributed to restricting Chelsea to only a few breakaways while offering a platform and the necessary balance for Christian Eriksen to play a key role in possession.
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Potter's alteration worked well in quelling the control possessed by United in midfield. The addition of an extra midfielder changed the dimensions of the match, testing Ten Hag and his side's ability to adapt throughout the course of a 90-minute period.
Around the 50th minute, Ten Hag responded by adding another body to United's midfield, introducing Fred in place of Jadon Sancho. Fernandes moved to the left, with Eriksen pushed forward into the no.10 role.
Sancho is a certain matter of concern for Ten Hag at present. His output is diminutive compared to the productive figure of Antony on the opposite right flank. And, despite United performing at a high level, his confidence still seems to be waning. He was often a slow starter in seasons for Borussia Dortmund, plus players of his promise don't suddenly lose their talent. But Ten Hag will be keen for Sancho to quickly develop consistency that hasn't yet been apparent in nearly a season-and-a-half at United.
Even with changes having been made, United couldn't re-establish their first half rhythm in the same quantity after half-time. While Chelsea never asserted themselves to any substantial extent, United were more astray at times after the break.
Chelsea could only match their first half shots tally of three in the second period, with United still exceeding that total with five attempts of their own - albeit a decline from eight before the juncture. United's volume of creation noticeably dropped as the game progressed, with shot selection often an issue when chances presented themselves.
Aided by a considerable dose of stupidity from late substitute Scott McTominay, United were made to pay for their substandard execution of opportunities as Chelsea took the lead with only three minutes of regulation time remaining. Jorginho made no mistake from the penalty spot, pouncing on the chance to give Chelsea a late lead after McTominay unnecessarily wrestled Armando Broja to the ground from a corner kick.
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The consensus was largely that United had suffered a blow that they couldn't overcome at such a late stage in the match. But Ten Hag's United are moving away from being within the mould of a side with a defeatist mentality.
As cliche and almost basic as it may sound, the fight developed within Ten Hag's side has become a valuable asset. Even with Chelsea content to defend their slender advantage, United continued to commit themselves work away until the depths of second half injury time.
And Ten Hag's men gained reward for their efforts in the 94th minute as Casemiro's powerful header from a pinpoint deep Luke Shaw cross was guided out of Kepa Arrizabalaga's reach and over the goal-line by the finest margin. It was a hugely impactful goal from a player that has started to have an immeasurable influence over the entire side - rather fitting in many ways.
The celebrations encapsulated everything that has made this side one that fans can feel connected to again. Casemiro let out an almighty roar, with the playing side heading straight for the away end to celebrate both with one another and by the supporters.
The camaraderie within the squad was glaringly on display through the celebrations - something also shown earlier in the second half as players rallied around a tearful and frustrated Raphael Varane after he sustained a hamstring injury which he immediately acknowledged as being threatening to his World Cup participation.
In the jubilant aftermath of the Casemiro equaliser, Lisandro Martinez pulling a fan towards him for an embrace was a visual representation of the renewed connection between players and supporters.
As recently as the start of this calendar year, there was a sense that the disconnect between those on the pitch and those in the stands couldn't have been greater. But a shift is in motion at present, with Ten Hag constructing a team willing to play for the club and sustain maximum effort throughout matches in order to comply with the manager's desires of playing front-footed, entertaining football.
A mentality and spirit that fans can get behind has already been forged.
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While it was frustrating that United couldn't beat Chelsea, it felt an occasion for which the result was almost secondary. Most important was the sense of togetherness that has returned, with players operating as one, displaying passion and commitment earning justified adoration from fans.
It is far easier for supporters to accept the dropping of points when the players that they are backing have given their all. Football won't always go your way, and this season is unique for United in that building blocks in the rebuild being orchestrated by Ten Hag are almost as important as results.
Against Chelsea, there was a sense of another step being taken in the right direction.
Of course, on the football side, some things still have to be shored up. It isn't sustainable for a need for a more clinical edge to be an excuse for failing to gain maximum reward for otherwise sound performances.
Ten Hag will hope the goals can start to flow in the near future, but reinforcements are likely needed in forward areas to guarantee merit for dominant showings. Being able to capitalise on dominance will prevent lapses such as McTominay's against Chelsea possibly being costly.
Regardless of the odd flaw still standing out, Ten Hag is making excellent, likely ahead-of-schedule progress. His side are sixth in the Premier League having played nine of their opening 11 matches against sides inside the top 11 in the division, with possibly only their game in hand separating them from moving inside the top four.
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