The phrase 'like London buses' is ironically the best way to describe Rafael Leao ending his goal drought in a make-or-break season.
The 26-year-old has now scored in back-to-back appearances at San Siro, having gone 512 days without finding the net at home in Serie A.
Leao has scored three goals in four games, with just two league starts
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Leao has scored three goals in four games, with just two league startsCredit: Getty
Leao is returning to the type of form which saw him awarded the Serie A MVP award as the Rossoneri won their 19th Scudetto in 2022.
In 2022/23 the following year, the Portugal international registered his best league season in terms of goals as he netted 15 times.
However, he has failed to reach double digits in Serie A in each of the last two seasons, largely due to his epic struggles at San Siro.
Rafa Leao ends 512-day drought
Having netted the first of six goals in Milan's 3-3 draw with Salernitana on May 25, 2024, the winger then went over 500 days without scoring in a league game in front of his home fans.
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Leao's miserable run finally came to an end against Fiorentina, with the Portuguese bagging twice in a 2-1 comeback win.
And as the saying goes, he then followed that up with another in Friday's 2-2 draw with Pisa to rubber-stamp his return to top form.
Fittingly, Leao almost could have been seeing London buses in the flesh following continued summer links with a transfer to Arsenal.
talkSPORT reporter Ben Jacobs revealed the Gunners' interest in Leao was separate from their pursuit of Eberechi Eze in August.
A move failed to materialise ultimately as neither Leandro Trossard nor Gabriel Martinelli departed.
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Months later, ManchesterUnited and Liverpool have been credited with an interest in Leao, who is now playing in a front two in attack.
Leao was visibly relieved to end his San Siro curse
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Leao was visibly relieved to end his San Siro curseCredit: Getty
European football broadcaster Andy Brassell claimed that if it doesn't click for Milan's talisman this year, then it never might at the top level.
"I think we've only seen the best of Rafael Leao in tiny little bits," he said during an exclusive interview with talkSPORT.com.
"And I guess it's a shame because since he was MVP, Serie A MVP, it seems like he's gone backwards because at that point he was dangerous, difficult to stop, pretty consistent as well. And from there, he's really struggled.
"Certainly in terms of consistency, you look at him on his day and he looks like one of the best 15 players in the world.
Leao one of the best 15 players in the world
"He's so, so good on his day. He's big, he's quick, the ball sticks to his feet. He can go inside or outside.
"He can score goals. There's so much to him. And yet I just feel that in the last couple of years, we've only seen the best of him in little fits and starts for both Milan and Portugal, where he really should have nailed on with his ability, he should have nailed a first 11 place for Portugal. And he's not nailed a first 11 place for Portugal.
Luka Modric's huge praise for Rafa Leao: ‘I was looking forward to playing with him’
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Modric agrees with the high assessment
"Clearly, there is competition, but his ability is not something to be sniffed at. It's really something special."
On his 500-day-plus drought at San Siro, Brassell added: "It's remarkable to me. How can a player of that sort of ability, who's had some injuries, but not a major injury, not like a broken leg or an ACL or anything like that, or an Achilles, go that long without scoring, without making a decisive contribution at home?
"Sometimes we forget this because we watch so much football from all over the world on TV. But how you play in the home games matters. It really matters.
"It really affects the opinion of a fan base of season ticket holders. So the people who actually come to the stadium every week, it affects the way they look at you. Of course it does.
"If that's what they see firsthand, is you promising but failing to deliver week after week after week for a year and a half, that's really difficult to overcome because you need the support of those fans to get to your best level, I think, and to feel good when you come out in a home game.
Rafael Leao has detailed the supportive welcome he received from new teammate Luka Modric
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Leao and Modric have struck up an instant understanding on the pitch
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"Now, look, a lot's changed for Leao, over the last year and a half. He's become the father of twins. He's clearly grown up in a great many ways. And he spoke recently about how he arrived at Milan as a boy and now he's a man.
"A lot has changed. But with that, with the big new contract, which he's rarely looked worth, if we're being honest.
"Milan went a long way to first help sort out his situation from when he left Sporting. Of course, there was that thing at the training ground.
Leao needs to start paying Milan back - they've invested a lot in him
"So they helped him on a legal and financial and really a moral support level as well. They feel they've invested a lot in him, and since they helped him sort that mess out and since they signed him to a new contract, they've not got consistency out of it.
"Max Allegri is quite a disciplinarian, not really to be messed with, he's got huge credit and huge status in Italian football," Brassell continued.
"It's a real challenge for him to come in, and of course, you've got that injury in the Coppa Italia match right at the start of the season, which put Leao out for a number of weeks.
"For him to now come back, and this is the moment where we start seeing if Allegri has really managed to get inside his head and if Allegri has really managed to get him to produce and do his best.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be counting on Leao to deliver at the World Cup next summer
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Cristiano Ronaldo will be counting on Leao to deliver at the World Cup next summerCredit: Getty
"I don't think it's always about effort. I think we sometimes see it as either a player makes an effort and is implicated, or he doesn't and he's not. I don't think he's like that.
Leao is not a kid anymore - it needs to work for him this season
"I think the psychology is a lot more complicated than that, and Rafa Leao has been through a lot in his career.
"But the fact is, now he's not a kid anymore. They've invested a lot in him both financially and in other ways in terms of support as we've said. And this is the point at which he needs to start paying them back.
"This is a season in which he's going to get plenty of R&R, unlike a lot of his contemporaries.
Leao has proven he can be a world-beater on his day
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Leao has proven he can be a world-beater on his day
"He is going to get to rest in the weeks and to recuperate in between the league games because they're not in Europe.
"So this is a great opportunity for him under a disciplined coach who demands discipline, who demands implication.
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"If it doesn't work for Rafa Leao this season, I don't know in what European context or what European club context it will work for him.
"He needs to be the player this season that he was when he was MVP in Serie A."