Manchester City were magnificent as they dominated Chelsea for 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge back in September.
It was a Pep Guardiola masterclass that laid most of those Porto demons to rest and the only minor disappointment was the final scoreline being just 1-0.
However, that was offset by the fact there could hardly have been a more popular matchwinner.
Gabriel Jesus’ deflected shot on the turn proved to be the difference and crowned a remarkable renaissance in sky blue, just a couple of months after he was earmarked as one of the players who might make way amid a summer revamp.
Like Bernardo Silva and Aymeric Laporte, Gabriel survived and thrived, opening a fresh chapter in his City career as a selfless, relentless right-wing threat.
It is a bizarre anomaly, as City head into the return fixture boasting a handsome lead at the top of the Premier League and with goals flying in from all angles, that Jesus has not scored in the league since.
The Brazil international’s overall Premier League tally this season is two. That’s the same number as centre-backs Laporte and Ruben Dias and the now-departed Ferran Torres.
Jack Grealish has also scored twice in the top flight - a return that has led many to decry him as a £100million flop. Yet Jesus’ tally has barely caused anyone to bat an eyelid.
In fact, if you asked most City fans whether he was having a good season, they’d probably answer in the affirmative.
"I spoke to Gabriel and he likes to play in the wider positions,” Guardiola said, explaining his forward's new role after Jesus created three goals in the 5-0 August win over Norwich City.
“Some players when they get the ball in more wide positions, their body shape is more open and they have more time to make the right decision.
“When you play central it is more difficult to get good balls playing so so central... Gabriel is better getting balls wider.”
Jesus has continued to vindicate this switch. His seven Premier League assists are three more than any other City player this term. Only Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold (nine apiece) have more in the division.
There have also been three goals in the Champions League, including the winner against Paris Saint-Germain, while last Friday’s FA Cup tie at Swindon showcased his tireless pressing from the front, his eye for goal and abysmal penalty record.
Riyad Mahrez is City’s top scorer on 13 in all competitions this season and Raheem Sterling leads the way with seven in the Premier League. Each player featuring on the wing - with Mahrez essentially Jesus’ direct rival for a spot nowadays - means there is obviously an onus on the 24-year-old to do more in front of goal.
The fact the man wearing City’s number nine shirt is widely considered to be having a productive season despite not scoring many goals also highlights the particular task facing Guardiola and Txiki Begiristain when it comes to bolstering the forward line this summer.
Many supporters were frustrated by City’s failure to sign an out-and-out striker last year, with the Kane-or-bust strategy settling on the second half of that equation.
But holding out for an absolutely elite marksman such as Erling Haaland rather than chasing the latest flavour of the month makes sense when you consider Jesus’ City career.
Once a teenager brimming with confidence, his belief inside the area dwindling did not have to be the end. He is a multi-faceted player who, with a little trial and error, has found a new home in the squad.
The particular demands of Guardiola’s playing style mean that anyone other than a relentless goal addict would likely find themselves trying to carve a niche among the support forwards as Jesus has. Frankly, that part of the squad is crowded enough as it is.
Cole Palmer’s emergence and Phil Foden’s relocation to the left-wing means there is ample competition among the wide forwards. Numerous examples in the Guardiola era suggest Grealish will take a leap forward next season which, incidentally, is the final year on each of Sterling, Mahrez and Jesus’ current contracts.
It underlines how the battle to prove your worth at Guardiola's City never completely stops. Jesus will be desperate to take Chelsea down again this weekend and end his Premier League drought, even if no one really seems to have noticed it.
Do you think Gabriel Jesus is having a good season? Follow the City Is Ours editor Dom Farrell on Twitter to get involved in the discussion and give us your thoughts in the comments section below.
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