Freddie Ljungberg had to suffer for the cause on Saturday but turned in perhaps his best performance to date for West Ham United.
The midfielder, who needed stitches in a cut lip after an early challenge, was back in the side after hamstring trouble caused him to miss out on the FA Cup tie with Manchester City last week. Against Fulham, he was a perpetual menace going forward and a constant outlet. Occupying a position on the right side of midfield after a run of five games up to the 1 January defeat at Arsenal on the left, Ljungberg gave former Hammers defender Paul Konchesky a torrid time.
"It felt great," said Ljungberg, who rightly got a rapturous reception when making way for Julien Faubert in the dying minutes. "We got the ball down a bit on the floor, especially in the second half, and I could go at their left-back. It was probably one of the first times [this season]. It felt great and we won the game - I can't complain."
One such attack down the flank saw him combine well with Jonathan Spector before whipping in a precise cross for Dean Ashton to head in the equaliser. It was a particularly decisive moment as prior to that the side had struggled to fashion many real opportunities. "When we got the ball down and played, it happened for us," he added. "We started to create a few chances after that and probably should have scored a few more to be honest."
Having played such a pivotal part including plenty of tracking back in defence, Ljungberg is keen to figure in the midweek cup replay at City and will not let his facial injury get in the way. "It is just a cut, and it has been stitched a bit," he said. "We will see - what hurts the most is the teeth. They have been knocked in a bit so I will probably have to go to the dentist."
Adding that his hamstring was "a bit stiff after the game but it should be fine", Ljungberg preferred to focus on what it might take for the club to win through to a FA Cup fourth-round tie away to Sheffield United. A three-time FA Cup winner with Arsenal, including a goal in the 2002 final, his experience of the famous old competition should not be ignored.
"You have to be sharp on the day. It is not like a league situation where you can have a bad day and maybe make up for it later on. We have to be focused from the beginning. If you concede an early goal in the FA Cup, normally you are done. It is going to be hard for us to get a result. They have been a bit shaky away, they haven't won too many games, but at home they almost always win. It is going to be hard but we are getting into form and we can go there and win."