Eventually Aaron Ramsdale was able to break out into a relieved smile.
The Arsenal goalkeeper's grin came moments after his team had beaten Brentford in a slog of a 2-1 win which moved the Gunners back to the top of the Premier League.
Ramsdale was not laughing, however, for most of the previous hour.
During that period it looked as though his error - hesitating on a backpass and seeing Brentford equalise when his eventual clearance was charged down by Yoane Wissa - would prove costly.
The 25-year-old looked distraught as he headed into half-time, and the contrasting nature of his emotions at the end of each half summed up a rollercoaster evening for the England keeper.