Ivan Toney's show of brilliance came too late to convince England to take him to the World Cup, but his timing was perfect as they shocked Manchester City.
A performance of the highest class and two goals that showed exactly why he was included in England's squad for the Nations League games in Italy and Germany in September disguises what must have been bitter disappointment.
It was odd that Toney didn't get a chance in those two matches before Wilson got the nod ahead of him as captain Harry Kane's deputy.
He might be expendable for England, but Toney is still an important player for the Bees, as he showed in the victory over the reigning champions at the Etihad Stadium.
He had already brought a save from Ederson before he headed home Ben Mee's cross after 16 minutes and Toney was a constant thorn in City's side.
Ederson was forced into action to stop Toney after the break, first with a sharp save to his left from a first-time strike then with a block at his near post, before the decisive moment eight minutes into 10 minutes of the final game of the season.
Josh Dasilva crossed for Toney to make it a 2-0 game. City were shocked and in disarray as Toney was denied a hat-trick with almost the last kick of the game when Kevin de Bruyne blocked on the line.
The two goals made it 11 in 16 appearances for Toney this season, so he was unlucky to be overtaken by Wilson's late run of form.
The added bonus of being one of the game's most reliable penalty takers, but in the end, was not enough to convince him to take it.
After his first goal, the fans of the club let him know what they thought of him, and Toney was locked in a conversation with the manager about the decision he made.
Frank said that he was great. I cannot praise him enough for how good a person he is, his emotional intelligence with his team-mates and the way he is around the club.
Life doesn't stop. He has had a big disappointment, but it's the reason we love football. We move on after the sun rises.
If England needed any late reinforcements, Toney would keep his name in the frame.
This was the perfect time for Manchester City to head into the World Cup break with a winnable game.
City never really took it back despite inevitable spells of pressure as they started almost in a daze.
The prolific Erling Haaland was crowded out by the well-organised defence and the fluency that is usually their trademark was absent.
It wasn't a huge surprise when they were punished with the winner because there was an air of vulnerability about the team.
This was Ivan Toney's day and it was a perfect example of the ups and downs of football.
It is a long shot, but he has once again shown what he can do in case he needs to call on his reinforcements.
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