Jose Mourinho and Frank Lampard meet again as managers on Sunday afternoon, and the latter will be determined to get the better of his far more experienced counterpart.
So far, it has been a rivalry dominated by the younger man, who not so long ago was a player under Mourinho. Perhaps he learned a thing or two about his methods back then, and has put them to good use in their tactical battles.
In December last year, only a few weeks after Mourinho had been appointed as Tottenham manager, Chelsea ran out 2-0 winners in north London, with a brace from Willian enough to seal the points.
The Spurs boss could legitimately have claimed back then that he had not had sufficient time to make the team his own, to get across his instructions and form a side in his image.
A few months later, in February, shortly before the coronavirus pandemic brought football to a halt, Chelsea were victorious against their rivals again. At a full Stamford Bridge, Olivier Giroud and Marcos Alonso netted before a late Antonio Rudiger own goal gave the visitors some hope.
Again, though, it was a triumph for Lampard, a nascent, relatively unproven coach, certainly compared to the man across from him on the touchline.
The most recent meeting between them came back in September, and finally Mourinho was the man celebrating. His side, despite a remarkably busy fixture list, had enough to take Chelsea to extra-time in the last 16 of the League Cup - thanks to a late equaliser in normal time from Erik Lamela - and win on penalties.
Lampard can still claim that he has not yet been beaten outright by Mourinho, though. And their competitive, but amicable, rivalry will continue this weekend.
The dynamic has changed significantly now. Last season, neither Spurs nor Chelsea were even close to Liverpool at the top of the Premier League. But this term things are different: Tottenham are top, with 20 points from nine games, and Chelsea are third, only two points back. This is, without doubt, a title clash.
And these are the kind of games where Mourinho has, over the years, tended to thrive. When the pressure is on, when the stakes are high, he has generally come out on top.
Plenty claimed his managerial powers were diminishing after his dismissal from Manchester United, but there are signs this season that the old Mourinho is back.
It’s clear that Spurs are now more disciplined, with a style of play that is proving effective and leading to consistent performances. They have a settled defence and midfield, while in attack Harry Kane and Son Heung-min are in frightening form.
Spurs’ win last weekend over Manchester City will have worried Lampard, because it was an example of Mourinho at his very best. It’s not just his team that’s in top form: the Portuguese is, right now, at the top of his game, too.
Lampard should be confident in his players, particularly after such an impressive run of late. Tuesday night’s late win over Rennes in the Champions League made it six successive victories in all competitions, with 17 goals scored and only two conceded in that time.
His team are playing free-flowing, exhilarating football, buoyed by several big-money additions in the summer.
But a reinvigorated Mourinho, with a familiar glint in his eye, might fancy his chances of getting the better of Lampard for the first time at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
