West Bromwich Albion will have been one of a few clubs devastated by the enforced domestic break for the World Cup, given how Carlos Corberan had seemingly turned things around.
The Spaniard was brought in to fix the mess made by Steve Bruce, which had left the Baggies in and around the relegation zone.
In what had been a torrid campaign, they had just one win to their name before his sacking, making their recent resurgence even more impressive.
Losing his first game against Sheffield United, Corberan would then take his side on a three-game win streak before the hiatus.
Then, last night, they finally returned to action with a clash against Sunderland, who boasted similarly impressive form.
It turns out that their month off actually ended up benefitting them, as it offered the necessary time for Daryl Dike to return from his injury.
Having sadly missed out on the World Cup squad due to it, he was deemed fit enough for the bench in their trip to the Stadium of Light.
It marked an important return for the 22-year-old who had been struck down with “really bad luck” with injuries that had left him “devastated”, according to Bruce.
Whilst it has often been John Swift called upon to bail out the Baggies this season, who had been enjoying a characteristically workmanlike performance, it was clear a spark was missing to turn the game in their favour.
Therefore, with 26 minutes left on the clock, the former Barnsley marksman was summoned to help uproot a 1-0 deficit.
His first action was to use his hulking strength to hold off a centre-back, laying the ball off for Tom Rogic to stroke home.
He would then compound this assist with the winning goal, heading past the stranded Anthony Patterson after a fine Jed Wallace delivery.
This display has surely left Corberan considering his striking options now, with Karlan Grant and Brandon Thomas-Asante both having looked rather toothless this season.
In the Championship this term they both have only scored three each.
However, with Dike now returned from injury, performances like last night will ease the selection headache tenfold as he becomes an instant starter.
Having risen to 17th since the win, there will now be hope that, should their blistering form continue, they can start looking up the table rather than be scared about who might be behind them.
Starting Dike regularly will be imperative in maintaining that.