It's been a rotten 347 days for Liverpool's Diogo Jota.
After rounding off a sweeping cut-back from Trent Alexander-Arnold to draw Liverpool level against Manchester City on April 10, when the two heavyweights played out a pulsating 2-2 draw in east Manchester as part of their sprint for the Premier League title, Jota was undoubtedly Jurgen Klopp's most prized asset.
His strike at the Etihad would be his 21st and last of a remarkable second campaign at Anfield, including crucial efforts at Old Trafford, Goodison Park, the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the Emirates.
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But when Klopp was tasked with selecting his strongest frontline for the Champions League final against Real Madrid a little over six weeks later, there was no room for Jota - whose involvement at the Stade de France was limited to a limp 25-minute cameo off the bench as the Reds failed in their quest of finding a way past the outstanding Thibaut Courtois.
And as the Portugal international sank to the turf on a gut-wrenching summer's evening in Saint-Denis, nothing has quite been the same since for Jota, or Liverpool in fact.
Next weekend the Reds will make the short journey to the Etihad to begin the home straight of an underwhelming season, with Jota revisiting the venue of his last Premier League goal. And after Darwin Nunez withdrew from Uruguay's international camp due to a precautionary ankle injury and with Luis Diaz still continuing his recovery ahead of a return to action next month, the Reds' No.20 will be primed to start alongside Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah on April 1 in attempt to end his 12-month goal drought.
On the face of it, a run of 347 days without a goal for any forward at any level is a bleak return but Jota's injury woes and individual misfortune since his previous trip to east Manchester stand as an acceptable explanation.
More accurately, the forward's barren run stretches 29 games - not great, but significantly better than a first reading would suggest - as severe hamstring and calf injuries have meant he's missed more than five months' worth of action since initially pulling up while turning out for Portugal in the Nations League last June.
Earlier this month Jota found himself convicted by the Court of Public Opinion as Liverpool's possible sacrificial lamb ahead of the summer transfer window - which is expected to stage a mass overhaul of midfield options within the squad and therefore could require some distinguished names to depart Anfield.
Bizarrely, after supporters have spent large parts of a disastrous season bemoaning a lack of quality in reserve, Jota's name was immediately touted as a possible departure as images of Diaz's increasing rehabilitation came to light, alongside Gakpo and Nunez's improved performances over the last six weeks.
Though with Liverpool preparing an emotional parting of ways with the long-serving Roberto Firmino at the end of the current campaign after a stellar eight-year career on Merseyside, Jota's importance at Anfield could well stretch beyond filling his boots with goals like he has done in three years since his £45m from Wolverhampton Wanderers.
As it stands, all of the signs point towards Liverpool's £37m winter recruit, Gakpo, becoming the natural heir to the Brazilian's Anfield throne as the latest tactical tweak of Klopp's Liverpool tenure has seen the former PSV Eindhoven captain tasked with leading the Reds' press, while also dropping between the lines to provide links to midfield and attack.
Indeed, the 23-year-old has swiftly endeared himself to the hearts of Kopites due to his willingness to cover practically every blade of grass when Liverpool are out of possession and in a transitional phase. But it isn't just Gakpo looking to take on the added responsibility ahead of the Brazilian's exit this summer.
In fact of the forwards still at the club, only Firmino averaged more tackles in the final third and a higher number of tackles and interceptions per-90 minutes than Jota last campaign. Something his manager was quick to recognise when the forward penned a new long-term deal at Anfield last summer.
“His qualities are obvious," Klopp said of Jota. "He scores goals – not a bad quality – he works unbelievably hard for the team, his pressing and counter-pressing are on an unbelievable level, he can play in all of our attacking roles and he has an incredible attitude.
"Not a bad package. Not bad at all.”
Such an exemplary attitude was on display as Liverpool toppled Manchester City at Anfield back in October, where Jota was outstanding in defending from the front as he repeatedly blocked off passing lanes when Pep Guardiola's side attempted to start their build-up play from depths of defence. He also won all five of his tackles.
While his extraordinary shift that night would end with all it deserved as he received a rapturous standing ovation from the Kop in added time, departing Anfield on a stretcher as he suffered a serious calf injury proved to be the cruellest of blows for the 26-year-old who had notched five assists in just eight outings at that point of the campaign.
Fast forward five months and, in truth, it's difficult to decipher Klopp's current Anfield pecking order with the Liverpool manager yet to have all of his senior forwards available this term; with injuries to Diaz, Jota and Firmino the reasoning behind that. While the Colombian winger is yet to share the field with Gakpo, and has only managed four outings alongside Nunez.
Last week's visit to the Santiago Bernabeu highlighted how boasting such a generous dose of quality in attack could lead to Klopp moving away from his tried and tested 4-3-3 in favour of a 4-2-3-1 formation. Something that was expected to take place last summer but appeared to be shelved due to the quick turnaround between the end of one season and the beginning of the next.
One thing that is for certain, no matter how Klopp chooses to dish his cards next season, is that Jota is here to stay and has plenty of chapters left to write of his thrilling Anfield career.
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