Until the summer of 2022, Teemu Pukki had been doubted every year that he’d been a Norwich City player.

When he arrived he was cast as the understudy to fellow summer signing Jordan Rhodes, a year later his Premier League abilities questioned even after 29 Championship goals.

The Finn struck 11 times that season but was still subject to worries after a barren period ended it, and when he produced another impressive haul of 26 goals that term, many feared he was too old to succeed in the top flight again.

But during the 2021-22 season, by far the less offensively productive of City’s two recent and sheepish trips to the top table, he hit that magic number again – 11.

That appeared enough for supporters to finally accept that to doubt their star man was futile and inevitably would look foolish, but it’s been a slow start by the 32-year-old’s own high standards this season.

It took him seven games to get off the mark, with a tidy finish opening his account against Coventry before a double against Bristol City gave the impression of a man hitting form.

And yet the following 12 games featured only three Pukki strikes, with his usual engine-like enhancement by momentum struggling to surface as Norwich toiled on.

The explanation for this inconsistency appears to have a number of facets. Chief amongst them is the creativity deficit City are encountering, with their final-third struggles clear for all to see and demonstrated in the numbers they’ve produced.

Their xG per game of 1.38 was bettered in Pukki’s last Championship season (1.63) and his first (2.02), and they’ve made significantly fewer progressive passes (72.71 per 90 this season versus 80.35 per 90 in 2020-21 and 84 per 90 in 2018-19).

Throw in a significantly worse actual goals total, less possession and slumping pressing numbers, and the decrease in the service Pukki is provided is undeniable.

But the team’s problems as a whole don’t mean their number 22 is blameless. While his regression margin has been less than the system’s, his statistics are less impressive than they were.

He’s finding the target with a smaller proportion of his shots (42.3pc this season versus 44.8pc in 2020-21 and 43.5pc in 2018-19), and he’s contributing fewer shot assists (0.89 per 90) than in his previous second division campaigns (0.92 in 2020-21 and 1.13 in 2018-19).

Maybe that makes sense, given the role confidence plays in the striker's game. While they've been extended periods, his goals have come in streaks previously, and he's yet to establish a real one this term despite threatening to.

That's an odd admission around someone so apparently introverted and apathetic towards his outside perception, but whether he's transparent about it or not, all the best attackers know they're judged by and rely upon tangible contributions.

And although his loveable legend status means he'll receive more patience than most in this under-performing squad, every member of Dean Smith's squad will be wondering how to find the level they know they're capable of performing on.

For Pukki that means regular goalscoring, and a reliable figure for his team to place their trust in when it comes to chance conversion.

Perhaps it’s that underdog status that fuels him. His size, stature and character are not those of somebody used to being the favourite.

Whatever it is that’s forced the highest of standards from the most unassuming of individuals, rediscovering it could be key in the Canaries’ quest for automatic promotion in the next six months.

For all the talk of future proofing and the form of Josh Sargent, the number 22 remains the most proven and successful striker City have had at this level, and they’d do well to make use of that resource before it expires in the summer.