Southgate had targeted seven points from clashes with Tottenham, Liverpool and Stoke, and Middlesbrough emerged with six after Tuncay Sanli’s late strike saw off the Potters.

Middlesbrough had beaten Tottenham in their opener before suffering a last-gasp defeat at Liverpool.

They will head into the break for international matches content with their return, but knowing it could have been even better.

Southgate said: “I felt we could get seven points from the first three games, so in a sense, I am a little bit disappointed we have ended up with six.

“We have been good value for at least seven points from three games, but that’s a good start for us.

“It’s our best start for a number of years and we know the team can grow together and improve together, and they will have to take on different challenges, like they did today.”

However, any sense of disappointment will be tempered by the knowledge that Stoke could so easily have emerged from their visit to Teesside with a hard-fought point had it not been for Tuncay’s 85th-minute intervention.

The Premier League new boys looked in little difficulty until midfielder Amdy Faye was dismissed for a two-footed lunge at Mohamed Shawky, and Afonso Alves compounded Stoke’s misery by dispatching the resulting free-kick emphatically past Thomas Sorensen.

The Brazilian striker had earlier wasted two more straightforward opportunities and when Stewart Downing smashed a 64th-minute penalty against the bar, Stoke sensed an opportunity.

They drew level 19 minutes from time when Justin Hoyte bundled Liam Lawrence’s cross into his own net, but Tuncay was in the right place at the right time to control Didier Digard’s mis-hit shot and fire past Sorensen.

Southgate said: “I don’t think we were at our best, but we still had the chances to have it sewn up.

“Stoke were very good on the day. They did a disciplined job and especially when they went down to 10 men, Tony will feel his players did everything he asked of them.

“We got a bit sloppy. You could almost see their goal coming, but that said, we did have enough chances to win the game.

“Obviously, if we had scored the penalty, that would have killed it, but we showed good character to keep plugging away and two excellently taken goals won us the game.”

City boss Tony Pulis had no complaints about the sending-off, which he admitted had been pivotal.

He said: “The sending-off changed the game, without a question of a doubt.

“It was a good decision. We have had a mandate round telling us if people leave the ground with two feet, then they will be sent off, so we have got no qualms there.

“[Referee] Mike [Dean] made the right decision.

“It just changed. Up until that point, we were enjoying ourselves, it looked as though the players were really enjoying it.”

Pulis was understandably disappointed by the late winner, but was able to take plenty of positives out of a gritty display.

He said: “It happens. To be fair to Middlesbrough, Thomas [Sorensen] made a couple of great saves and they missed a penalty.

“But I honestly thought when we scored, it took the puff out of them and I was very, very disappointed, obviously, with the final goal.

“But I have got to take it on the chin.”

Pulis hopes to be able to add to his squad before the end of business on Monday, but Southgate confirmed after the game that he does not expect any further arrivals or departures from the Riverside Stadium.