The burgeoning Liverpool career of Jarell Quansah had been progressing almost as serenely as one of the defender's increasingly trademark composed performances.
And then it happened.
A loose pass infield rolled straight into the path of Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes who. some 45 yards from goal !
Having been deservedly ahead at Old Trafford, Liverpool were needlessly pegged back and eventually needed a late Mohamed Salah penalty to snatch a draw
That was a month ago and Jurgen Klopp's side haven't been back on the summit since
For Quansah, it was a chastening experience. But his performance in the immediate aftermath and subsequent games highlights the steely resolve and mentality that has been evident throughout his debut campaign
Quansah
When I was a younger I used to struggle when I made a mistake and sort of go under and stuff like that,"
“Over the past few years - other than my (loan) spell at Bristol Rovers - I didn't get tested too much in the Academy, so I wasn't used to making big errors.
"So in such a big game obviously I made that error but I've got to take the positives from it, such as the way I bounced back from it and managed to play (the final) 40 minutes without putting a foot wrong and helping with a goal.
“I didn't go under, and in probably one of the hardest stadiums you can go to in a such a big game.
"Everyone makes mistakes and it is just about how you deal with them.
“I had skip (Virgil van Dijk) next to me and obviously he was in my ear, but a lot of players can say a lot of things in those moments - it’s how you deal with it yourself, ultimately.”
Quansah had impressed during pre-season trips to Germany and Singapore before making the bench for the Premier League game at Newcastle United back in August.
An early red card for Van Dijk sparked a remarkable match where Liverpool came from behind to win thanks to substitute Darwin Nunez's late double
And it was when the Reds were still 1-0 down that Quansah, with 13 minutes remaining, was thrown into the fray for his debut.
Quansah said
"Virg was sent off and after that, I didn't expect to be brought on,"
“But I did have in the back of my mind that I had to be ready and that's probably where a bit of nerves starting kicking in when I was sat on the bench in the first half.
“But after half-time I was ready. If the opportunity came, I was happy to take it and see what I could do.
“We were in a losing position when I came on and we weren't expected to win the game with 10 men, so I'm grateful of the way it went on the day."
Quansah had already been given a taste of unwelcoming venues when featuring for England last summer during the Under-20 World Cup in a very hostile Argentina
Quansah continued
"This season I've played in a lot of big games and big stadiums, but honestly, that was definitely up there with the most hostile I've ever seen,"
“There were no England fans and 55,000 Argentinians screaming and Uruguayans screaming. That was a crazy experience. Looking back, it probably helped me this season."