Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Frank Lampard are twinned in much, the returning heroes appointed in part on the basis of their wonderful playing careers and knowledge of their beloved clubs, despite relatively slender managerial CVs.
They were twinned on 66 points last season, side by side in third and fourth, their seasons qualified successes despite disappointments in the latter stages of knockout competitions.
There is a more recent common denominator, too, and it entails emphatic defeats at Old Trafford.
Solskjaer’s last game at home was, he said, his “worst day” in management. Lampard’s heaviest defeat was his first match at Chelsea manager.
Manchester United lost 6-1 to Tottenham. Chelsea went down 4-0 to United in August 2019. If there are differences in the details – and Lampard felt the scoreline on his managerial debut was harsh, whereas United were shambolic two weeks ago – each has shown the mettle to respond.
Solskjaer and Lampard have faced similar challenges of late, and two men who forged fine careers by scoring goals have been charged with stopping them. Tuesday’s Champions League games have offered each a fillip, but in contrasting ways.
United's victory over Paris Saint-Germain came in the absence of Harry Maguire and the benched Paul Pogba, who have both had troubled seasons, and with a change of shape.
At least, if Maguire is fit again, Axel Tuanzebe’s performance in France suggested he has an internal solution, a possible partner to the £80 million ($104m) and whose pace suggests he can dovetail with the captain, offering the pace he lacks.
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Lampard’s solution has been external. The authoritative Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell and Edouard Mendy, his three defensive additions, have played together twice and Chelsea have kept two clean sheets.
Whereas they have 3-3 draws with both Willy Caballero and Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal, Mendy is yet to concede as a Chelsea player.
He has only had to field two shots on target thus far so the positive early impressions of a commanding figure come amid a small sample size. This is his first real test and one that may be toughened by the presence of a forward with 403 goals to his name, if Edinson Cavani is deemed fit to make his United bow.
The Uruguayan is nevertheless likely to represent Plan B. Along with PSG, Chelsea represent favourite opponents for Solskjaer. His counter-attacking blueprint – low on possession, high on penetration – worked wonderfully in three wins against them last season.
The triple centre-back policy he used in France was a favourite ploy against Chelsea. Until, rather than playing into United’s hands, Lampard matched up in July’s FA Cup semi-final and beat United on a traumatic afternoon for David de Gea.
If the Spaniard has responded well to the challenge Dean Henderson poses and was terrific on Tuesday, Lampard faces the decision of whether to try and replicate his Wembley gameplan.
It would probably entail omitting one of Christian Pulisic, Mason Mount or Kai Havertz; with Hakim Ziyech yet to start, it is already hard enough to accommodate all his attacking additions.
Solskjaer may look at the raft of signings and identify a difference between comparable figures. United missed out on Jadon Sancho in a summer of frustration.
Cavani feels more a club recruit than a Solskjaer signing, given the Norwegian’s preference for young, quick Brits. Chelsea were the year’s biggest buyers but United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward argued this week that they have the largest net spend since the start of the 2019 summer transfer window.
Money has been at the heart of the discussions of both clubs, particularly with the talk of a European Premier League. Saturday will show whose approach is paying off.
