For all he has already achieved in his remarkable career of perseverance — which saw him toil in the lower leagues for several years before establishing himself as a Premier League star and England international — Ivan Toney had perhaps curiously never tasted continental club football previously.
On Monday, he finally ended the wait — although it was the Champions League of an Asian variety where he made his bow.
As the revamped AFC Champions League Elite tournament kicked off, Toney and Al Ahli made a winning start as they beat Iran’s Persepolis 1-0 yet it was an evening which could just have been so much more.
It certainly started brightly enough. With just two minutes on the clock, Riyad Mahrez found space down the left and slid an incisive pass into the path of the rampaging Franck Kessié — who made no mistake in smashing an unstoppable effort into the back of the net.
Already in possession of the lead and with the likes of Toney, Mahrez, Kessié and Roberto Firmino just some of the stellar names in the Al Ahli starting XI, a dominant display looked on the cards.
But Persepolis are no pushovers, even if they do not boast the same star quality as Al Ahli. Like the Saudi Pro League giants, they too are two-time runners-up in the top-tier competition of Asian football — and as recently as in 2020.
Despite the early setback, they eventually found their rhythm and it soon became apparent that Al Ahli had a fight on their hands.
Still, with Édouard Mendy — much maligned during his time at Chelsea — standing firm with a series of smart saves and ably supported by the centre-back duo of Merih Demiral and Roger Ibañez, Al Ahli then had the perfect opportunity to strengthen their foothold in the contest 11 minutes after halftime.
Another energetic charge by Kessié saw him break down the right squaring a pass to Toney.
His slightly-scuffed initial effort was blocked but the rebound fell kindly back into his path. Keeping his composure, he feigned to shoot while attempting to create just a bit more space only to be tripped by Hossein Kanaanizadegan.
The penalty was awarded and confirmed upon VAR review. A perfect opportunity for Toney to open his account after his tumultuous summer — which saw him linked to both Manchester United and Chelsea — ultimately eventuated in a £40 million move to Al Ahli.
Mahrez, however, had other ideas as he picked the ball up and headed straight to the spot.
With Toney standing right behind, there appeared a brief moment where it seemed the former Brentford man might ask — or even challenge — for spot-kick duties although he only lingered briefly before stepping aside.
Perhaps he should have, especially given his renowned ability and nerve from 12 yards. Surely, in trademark fashion, he would have stared the opposition goalkeeper straight down, taken just two steps and unerringly converted the penalty — as he has done from 28 of his previous 30 attempts.
Instead, Mahrez was to be denied by an excellent save from Alexis Guendouz. A golden opportunity for Toney to score his first competitive goal since February had passed, and the game remained firmly in the balance.
Still, the fault will not fully rest on Mahrez’s shoulders. Toney had one final gilt-edged chance with four minutes remaining when he was sent clear from inside his own half in a blistering counterattack.
On a slight angle with ample time and space and only Guendouz to beat, the 28-year-old contrived to screw his shot wide.
In the end, his most important contribution might even have come at the other end of the field as, in the fifth minute of injury-time, he would intervene with a clearance header from a long throw that paved the way for Al Ahli to hold out for the three points.
For someone who did not feature in any of Brentford’s matches this season before moving to Saudi Arabia, the fact that Toney was able to last 90 minutes in back-to-back matches and do his role all over the pitch was an impressive feat.
Despite his lack of match practice, the game fitness is still there. It is now the sharpness in front of goal that he will have to rediscover — and that should surely return sooner rather than later.
Enjoying a win in his first taste of continental club football would be a satisfactory outing for Toney. It just could have been that much more.
