Amid what has been a season of real frustration for Tottenham Hotspur, the north London outfit were dealt yet another blow after suffering a 2-1 defeat away to Aston Villa on Saturday afternoon, with Ryan Mason's men having been pegged back in their battle for European qualification.
That frustrating loss has ensured that the Lilywhites have now won just one of their last six Premier League games, with the interim appointment of that man Mason having failed to have the desired impact on an underperforming squad.
The 31-year-old will likely have been concerned over the lack of impact from his forward line, in particular, against Unai Emery's men as the likes of Heung-min Son and Richarlison made just 30 touches combined, with only talisman, Harry Kane restoring some credibility by converting late on from the penalty spot.
Even the England skipper – who now boasts a stellar haul of 27 league goals for the season – was not without blame for the defeat to the Villans, however, with the 29-year-old having squandered a gilt-edged chance to level things up just after the break after firing straight at Emi Martinez.
In truth, the "only real positive" to come from the trip to Villa Park – in the words of The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare – was the cameo outing of summer signing Yves Bissouma, with the Mali international having been a shining light on his first appearance since February.
How did Bissouma perform against Villa?
It has undoubtedly been a frustrating debut campaign for the 26-year-old in the capital due to his persistent injury woes, although the former Brighton and Hove Albion man showed flashes of just why the club splashed out around £25m to acquire his services back in June.
After replacing Oliver Skipp around the hour mark, Bissouma went on to make a strong impression in the closing stages having completed 30 of his 31 total passes as a marker of his ability in possession, while winning one of his two total duels to indicate his ball-winning prowess.
As football.london's Alasdair Gold noted, the £55k-per-week machine 'brought energy to the midfield' following his second-half introduction, having 'looked bright' on a day that many of those around him found life difficult.
That glowing praise was also corroborated by the Evening Standard's Dan Kilpatrick, with the respected insider writing in his post-match player ratings pieces that the 6 foot rock was 'one of Spurs' better players', despite having been out of action over the last few months.
The hope will be that Bissouma can go on to make an even bigger impact over the coming games, before establishing himself as a key figure under whomever the permanent managerial appointment will be for next season.