Heading into last season, the narrative of most previews pitted two blokes with ponytails against each other. After Liverpool and Manchester City were separated by just a point in 2022, which titanic signing would tilt the title his side’s way: Erling Haaland or Darwin Nunez?
The charismatic young strikers were both bought for huge fees and immediately cast as the Premier League’s protagonists, with the pair dominating Sky Sports’ billboard adverts, newspaper pullouts and pub debates.
As we now know, that battle ended Haaland 52, Nunez 15… City trophies three, Liverpool zero.