give credit where credit is due

US /ɡɪv ˈkrɛdɪt wɛr ˈkrɛdɪt ɪz duː/
UK /ɡɪv ˈkrɛdɪt wɛr ˈkrɛdɪt ɪz duː/
"give credit where credit is due" picture
1.

to acknowledge and praise someone for their achievements or contributions, even if you don't particularly like them or agree with them

:
I don't always agree with his methods, but you have to give credit where credit is due; his plan saved the company a lot of money.
Even though they are rivals, the coach was quick to give credit where credit is due to the opposing team's excellent performance.