At half-time at Goodison Park the Premier League table made grim reading for Manchester City. They were starring down the barrel of a run of just one win in seven games and another few nights outside of the top four.
They might not have quite been in the territory of needing a hero, but they did need someone to grab hold of the game, to make sure the good work of last week wasn't forgotten.
Being world champions is lovely - as a rowdy away end at Everton made clear on several occasions - but some of the sheen from a fifth trophy in 2023 would have been lost if the defence of their Premier League title had taken another blow.
Remaining eight points behind Liverpool would have felt like getting a lump of coal at the bottom of the Christmas stocking.