It was the 11th minute of Real Madrid's Copa del Rey clash with Atletico Madrid, and Jude Bellingham couldn't believe he hadn't found the net. He looked at the sky in anguish, while his manager, Carlo Ancelotti, turned away in frustration and team-mate Federico Valverde threw his arms upward. Even Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak, who had watched Bellingham's effort cannon off the crossbar, looked surprised.
Bellingham's miss - if you could call it that - was an unfortunate one. It came at the end of a slaloming run in which the Englishman weaved through two defenders, and angled his left-footed shot into the ground, intentionally sending it skidding goalwards. Still, it proved to be decisive in the scope of the game. Bellingham could have given Los Blancos an early 1-0 lead in a game that they eventually lost 4-2 in extra-time.
Bad luck isn't really something that Bellingham has endured so far in his Madrid career. He spent his first three months at Santiago Bernabeu breaking numerous goalscoring records, besting marks set by Cristiano Ronaldo, Alfredo di Stefano and Zinedine Zidane. But the goals have been at a premium in recent weeks. Bellingham hasn't found the net from open play in almost two months, his only goal coming via a penalty against Almeria in January.
His slump, such as it is, can't be attributed to a downturn in form, as Bellingham has still been immensely effective for Los Blancos. His work-rate is as vital as ever, while the assists have come in spades. Still, that signature goalscoring touch that made him the early Ballon d'Or frontrunner has disappeared.