Chelsea boss Rafa Benitez was pleased with the way his players twice fought back after going behind to earn a 2-2 draw at Brentford in their FA Cup fourth-round tie.
Marcello Trotta gave the Bees a deserved first-half lead but Oscar levelled for the Blues after the interval.
Harry Forrester restored the League One side's advantage on 73 minutes only for Fernando Torres to earn the FA Cup holders a replay with a second equaliser seven minutes from time.
Benitez told Chelsea's official website: "In the first half we didn't do what we had to do. We knew it would be difficult but we made too many mistakes in our approach and the way we wanted to play.
"I was very pleased with the reaction of the players in the second half, we showed quality, character and it was much better.
"They were pushing and we knew it could be difficult, but we kept giving the ball away in simple situations which we could have managed better. You have to perform, we didn't start well and they grew into the game.
"In the second half we showed our real level, like we did last week against Arsenal. We have no excuses as to why we didn't play well in the first half, we just didn't do the right things.
"Oscar and Fernando scored great goals, and it was because the team were doing well and we were creating things."
Benitez also praised Brentford's performance and once again stressed the importance of an FA Cup run.
He added: "Brentford did well, we knew they would play with a high tempo and try to press. Our scouts did a good job because we knew everything they could do, but they did it well, so credit to them.
"For us, it's important to do well in every competition. The top four is the priority, but we want to progress in the other competitions. The FA Cup is massive, Chelsea won it last season and we will try to do it again."
Two days after refusing to answer questions on Hazard's red card for kicking out at Liberty Stadium ball boy Charlie Morgan, interim Blues boss Benitez insisted a three-game suspension was "enough" punishment for the offence.
Friday afternoon saw the Football Association charge Hazard over the incident, stating the standard sanction for violent conduct was "clearly insufficient" in the Belgian's case.
Chelsea had today still to decide whether to contest that charge but it is understood that they would have to do so to stand any realistic hope of avoiding being handed an additional ban.
Anything over three matches would trigger an automatic appeal by the European champions and Benitez said after today's 2-2 FA Cup fourth-round draw at Brentford: "At the moment, we will accept that three games is enough.
"So we will see what happens."
Benitez claimed he was unaware whether the club would fight the charge, although it is understood they stand ready to use video evidence to show Hazard poked the ball from under Morgan in an attempt to retrieve it rather than simply kicking the 17-year-old during Wednesday's Capital One Cup semi-final second leg.
"I think that you have been watching the replay, different angles and everything," Benitez said.
"For a player that was in a cup competition, with this intensity and in the way that things are going on, I think that a three-game ban is enough."
Hazard served the first instalment of his automatic suspension on Sunday.
Benitez said: "I have a lot of images but I think that, for a professional, and for the club, we have already lost the player at the end of the game, we will lose the player at least for three games. I think it's enough."
