The Premier League is on the verge of returning after three months without football, as Manchester City face Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.
The contest will see a master meet his former apprentice across the home and away dugouts as Pep Guardiola battles Mikel Arteta for the first time as rivals.
The Arsenal boss made the move to London in December having left his role as assistant to Guardiola at Manchester City and now the two are set to compete.
It is perhaps unsurprising that the pair share very similar perspectives on football. Each manager was heralded for their work in a deeper midfield role as players and now want to dominate the ball as coaches. Both want to see their teams play with an offensive, proactive possession-based style.
"I want the football to be expressive, entertaining," Arteta told Arsenal magazine in May 2014.
"We have to dictate the game, we have to be the ones taking the initiative, and we have to entertain the people coming to watch us. I'm 100% convinced of those things."
Guardiola is famed for his philosophy and shares a similar view on what he wants from his players and the best way to play - and win.
"I like the ball, I love the ball. To score a goal you need the ball," he is quoted as having said when asked about his own beliefs earlier in his career.
"So as much as you have it and your percentage is higher, you have more chances to score a goal. I want to see my team try to play offensively, that is principle number one."
Both managers will be striving to achieve the same thing as they go head-to-head but only one can be successful in achieving their similar visions. Possession can only be dominated by one side in a single game.
Beyond possession, Guardiola and Arteta both place an emphasis on a specific ploy when attacking.
Guardiola's teams in particular have demonstrated an intention to isolate the play on one side of the pitch by making short passes in a small area to entice opponents into pressing them.
Once their opponents are engaged, the ball is quickly switched to the opposite flank to create a one-on-one situation or an overload as defenders are out-numbered.
Arteta worked under the City boss before accepting the Arsenal job, and he's since been trying to instil comparable principles into a new group of players.
The 37 year-old has been recorded on camera during training sessions stressing the need for his team to look for the 'free player' when building attacks.
The free man that Arteta references is often positioned on the opposite flank to the ball, which means that in order to gain an advantage, possession has to be rapidly switched so that an overload or one-on-one duel can materialise.
Arsenal scored against Bournemouth before football was placed on pause by putting the idea into practice, with an example of the numerical superiority that Arteta wants to bring to bear.
Nicolas Pepe is often the player that receives the switch in the play for the Gunners, as shown above, because of his dribbling ability, with Granit Xhaka the player to feed him the pass in this example.
For City, the player that receives the switch in play is usually Riyad Mahrez this season, with an example taken from a clash with Leicester City shown above.
It's likely that both teams will strive to manipulate their opponents with to enable them to create these situations on the pitch.
Arsenal will be looking to release and find Pepe while Mahrez is set to be integral to City and their offensive efforts.
Guardiola has previously credited Arteta with bringing out the best in his wingers, most notably Raheem Sterling - another player who thrives in one-on-ones and overload situations.
It remains to be seen which outfit will deliver on the day, but a lot will depend on which team exploits the switch of play with the greatest efficiency.
