Romelu Lukaku has had a far from smooth time since rejoining Chelsea for £97.5million from Inter Milan.
The Belgian has dealt with injuries, Covid-19 and the aftermath of his explosive interview on his way to 10 goals so far this term.
The 28-year-old has drawn criticism, much of it warranted, due to his actions both on and off the pitch but in the last seven days has played a major role in Chelsea earning the trophy which had eluded them.
Lukaku showed a poacher's instinct to react to a defensive mistake to easily slot past Al-Hilal in the Club World Cup semi-final, before opening the scoring against Palmeiras with a strong header from Callum Hudson-Odoi's cross.
Scoring crucial goals is a sure-fire way to start getting supporters on side and build some confidence as Chelsea enter the business end of the season.
And perhaps, despite everything that has occurred and what was said in the Sky Italia interview, the Club World Cup Final, Lukaku could be set for a good future at Chelsea.
football.london takes a look at a few reasons below...
Reaction to his goal
Goal celebrations have provided a talking point in recent weeks for Chelsea, with the lack of enthusiasm in reaction to Hakim Ziyech's goal against Brighton being particularly notable.
The Blues have showed more joy since then and the reaction to Lukaku's strike against Palmeiras was no different.
As the ball hit the net, Lukaku looked to plant his feet and to take in the moment in stoic fashion.
Cesar Azpilicueta had other ideas. The Blues captain's energy bounded for his teammate, pushing into him before Kai Havertz jumped onto the Belgian's back.
The occasion was clearly a big one, but there was no sign of hesitation of the squad celebrating with their star striker, despite any hurt that may have occurred from his interview in December.
The duo guided him towards the corner of the pitch to celebrate with the provider, Callum Hudson-Odoi, and to be enveloped by the rest of the squad, in a moment that showed cohesion.
Lukaku is still highly regarded within the squad, despite his struggles and ahead of the final Hakim Ziyech spoke of the squad needing to help him.
The Moroccan told Goal: "I also think that everybody in the squad, not only me but everybody, [needs to provide chances for him].
"Some teams we are playing against, they play in a back five. He is by himself against three defenders. Is that not hard?
"It doesn’t matter who you are, if you have three defenders against you, it is hard to find space.
""For example, even if he [beats] one, then another one arrives. He also needs space to make his runs.
"So, I think that helping him is something we have to work on. Sometimes in games, it’s really good, but other times, a bit less. There is still a lot of room to improve.
"But there is no question over his quality. He's shown it for the last few years. It is just a matter of time."
Hype-man
With the scores level late in the second period, Lukaku was sacrificed for Timo Werner as Chelsea searched for the winning goal.
It was a surprise to many but the former Inter Milan and Manchester United forward took it in his stride and showed none of the complaints others in his position might have, particularly after providing his side's only goal so far.
Honours were even as the 90 minutes came to a close and as nerves and tension rose, Lukaku seemed to step up into a leadership role.
Tuchel and Azpilicueta led the main team talk for the squad but Lukaku appeared to have a specialised pep talk just for Werner.
The Belgian aimed to provide plenty of motivation for his German teammate.
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His reaction to Kai Havertz's goal
Rightly, or wrongly many have questioned Lukaku's commitment in recent weeks with his limited movement and impact leading to plenty of concern.
Any doubt that Lukaku is invested in winning with Chelsea was easily washed away when Havertz slotted his penalty past Palmeiras goalkeeper Weverton.
The Blues bench obviously fell into ecstasy and immediately emptied.
While Mason Mount hopped in and out of the dugout and Kepa Arrizabalaga stormed the pitch, Lukaku was not far behind the latter in entering the field with vigour.
Embracing Thomas Tuchel
Tuchel may have appeared to deal with the furore surrounding Lukaku's clumsy interview with expert class but it's easy to see why many might have concerns about where their relationship would go moving forwards, given the concerns the forward put forward.
The German coach has been unafraid to move forward with Lukaku and has publicly backed him during his struggle to find the net. Whether their relationship was truly fine is always difficult to ascertain however.
After the final whistle the pair embraced, perhaps overcome with joy from winning the Club World Cup but showing their relationship is far from problematic.
