Gareth Southgate is the luckiest man in football. The England manager was one minute away from losing his job, after another truly horrendous performance from his toothless, unimaginative team at Euro 2024.
Memories of the Three Lions' painful exit at the hands of Iceland at the same stage eight years ago came flooding back, but defeat against Slovakia would have been unforgivable. Southgate was presiding over the biggest failure in the country's entire footballing history, because England have never had a squad as talented as this one.
But in the fifth minute of stoppage time, his team finally registered their first shot on target of the match, and Southgate's prayers were answered. "Who else?," asked Jude Bellingham after finding the back of the net with an overhead-kick of the highest quality. The Real Madrid man conjured up the most important goal of Southgate's reign out of nowhere, forcing extra-time in the process.
Harry Kane then nodded home the winner for England, who can still dream of a first piece of silverware since 1966. Southgate doesn't deserve it, but he's got another chance to carve out a lasting legacy.
That will soon evaporate if England play the same way in their quarter-final tie against Switzerland, though. The Three Lions will come up against elite opposition for the first time in the tournament on Saturday, and Southgate has to wise up if they're to get over the line; individual brilliance won't be enough to save him this time.