When Said Benrahma shot from a distance against Manchester United last month, nobody expected his effort to find the net.
The players closing him down were not concerned about the space he'd found, Erik ten Hag expected a routine save from his goalkeeper and even the West Ham supporters inside the London Stadium thought it could not go in.
It wasn't how it turned out - a shot so tame it was more like a pass managed to trickle over David de Gea's gloves. The Spaniard's face was buried into the turf and the camera showed Marcus Rashford placing his hands on his head in disbelief.
West Ham won that game 1-0 and the defeat didn't subsequently cost United a place in the Champions League, but De Gea's series of mistakes at the business end of the season now seem to have cost him his future at the club.
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Ten Hag defended De Gea after that mistake against West Ham and said: “He has the most clean sheets in the league so we would not be here in this position without him. He fully has my belief. No concerns with him.
"It happens but as a team, you have to deal with it, show character, be resilient and bounce back. We want him to stay and extend his contract. You can’t feel sorry for yourself. Stick together, individuals take responsibility and make sure you have the energy and focus.
"Play as a team and we’ll get results, we’ve proven it all season. Tiredness is in your head and if you want you can take it out. It’s not about Liverpool, it’s about us and because of the table we have everything in our hands.”
Ten Hag defended his No.1 goalkeeper throughout the campaign, but he's become increasingly indefensible and with just a week remaining on his contract, his 12-year stay at Old Trafford now seems to be coming to an end.
De Gea's contract expires at the end of the month and United won't have a first-choice goalkeeper on July 1, as things currently stand. The only other two senior goalkeepers they have on the books are Tom Heaton and Nathan Bishop.
Some supporters won't even know anything about Bishop, who joined from Southend United in 2020. Heaton is 37 years old and at the opposite of his end career, although he certainly isn't in contention to start for United next season.
Although it's understood a resolution could still be found in contract talks with De Gea, there will have to be compromise from both sides and it's likely his appearances in the FA Cup final against Manchester City was his last for the club.
United are actively considering their options in the transfer market to prepare for his departure and if De Gea leaves, signing a goalkeeper will have to be the immediate priority, as it would be amateur not having a No.1 for pre-season.
The transfer priority this summer was signing a world-class striker and Ten Hag has been described as 'obsessed' with the prospect of singing Harry Kane, but he'll have to shift that enthusiasm into finding a stopper who can align with his vision instead.
It's obvious United need a prolific goalscorer. Marcus Rashford was responsible for 27 per cent of the team's goals this season and Antony, Anthony Martial, Jadon Sancho and Wout Weghorst scored just 26 goals between them.
The arrival of a high-quality forward is a non-negotiable, but signing a replacement for De Gea is considered more important by some. Both positions will be addressed and it's just a matter of which area is strengthened first in the market.
With the style of football that Ten Hag wants to play, giving a goalkeeper the maximum time to train with the team means it should take priority. The signing of a striker should come next and that seems the most logical approach.
De Gea is forcing the club to rethink their plans this summer and United must act fast to react to the situation.
