Heading into West Ham United's away trip to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League, it's fair to say the mood engulfing the Hammers was a toxic one.
Three defeats in both the League and Cup to start the season had Graham Potter nervously hanging onto his job post, while the rampant talk surrounding Lucas Paqueta's future heading into the twists and turns of deadline day did little to raise the positivity levels at the London Stadium.
West-Ham
However, it's funny how quickly things can change in football, as the depressed mood around proceedings was thankfully lifted by Potter's men securing a much-deserved 3-0 win at the City Ground.
Paqueta would even start the contest, and by kissing the badge when scoring his late penalty to make it 2-0, he has surely shown where his long-term future lies.
Paqueta's performance in numbers vs Forest
Murmurs before the game had indicated that the Brazilian star was going to start for the Hammers, despite rumours linking him with a late switch to Aston Villa.
Once more, after also scoring versus Chelsea, the South American was a bright spark throughout for the visitors, with his skill and commitment to the cause proving to be crucial as a much-needed three points were secured.
Lucas-Paqueta-1
Indeed, nobody would have known - from the outside looking in - that the Hammers' number ten was allegedly looking for a switch away, with Paqueta finishing the contest by winning a remarkably high 11 duels.
Moreover, he was also constantly on the front foot as a sharp number ten option behind the main striker, as seen in him finishing the 3-0 win with two key passes and three successful dribbles next to his name, away from just stroking his spot-kick home with ease.
The much-talked-about 28-year-old wasn't the only standout performer in Nottinghamshire, however, as another midfield presence showed off how he can be West Ham's next Paqueta, and even Declan Rice, with an assured and classy performance on the road.
£40m star showed he can be the next Paqueta & Rice
In truth, there were hardly any underperformers from an Irons' perspective, with a usually shaky Max Kilman even grabbing himself a clean sheet at the final whistle, winning 100% of his duels on the day.
Brand new Hammers recruit Mateus Fernandes, however, was phenomenal. Since Declan Rice left for Arsenal, the Irons have missed a robust figure capable of winning duels but it looks like they've found one.
He regularly threw himself into duels - with the summer signing going on to win six of his 11 attempted ground duels against Nuno Espirito Santo's energetic Forest. In doing so, the £42m ace instantly endeared himself to his new set of supporters by being both skilful on the ball, but attritional when necessary. Very Rice-esque.
Fernandes vs Forest
Minutes played
Goals scored
Assists
Touches
Accurate passes
Key passes
Tackles
Total duels won
Stats by Sofascore
It's certainly the correct route to go down, considering Paqueta also has a similar varied reputation, with Fernandes ending the 3-0 contest with only three misplaced passes next to his name.
Yet, he also regularly attempted to win the ball back away from merely stylishly spraying it about the pitch, with three tackles in total registered.
Mateus-Fernandes
The similarities between Paqueta and Fernandes don't end here, with both key performers for Potter's men at the City Ground flexible presences who can line up through the middle as a number ten, or down the flank, meaning they could well swap roles as the campaign drags on.
If the under-fire Hammers boss can also get both players to deliver top-quality performances like the ones on show at the Tricky Trees all season long, he should be far safer in his precarious job role.
It was quite the showing from the £42m youngster on his Hammers debut, with Fernandes perhaps even going down as a mega Rice-style sale down the line, having previously attracted interest from Manchester United and Villa, before putting pen to paper on a London Stadium move.
Hailed as "superb" during the victory by West Ham content creator Dan Woffenden, it does seem as if Potter and Co. have struck gold already on landing the coveted signature of Fernandes.
Hopefully, he remains in claret and blue for some time, before perhaps exploding even more into life away from East London, like the £100m Rice.