Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, and Cristiano Ronaldo established one of Manchester United's most relentless offensive trios – 13 years later, Bruno Fernandes, Edinson Cavani, and Paul Pogba seem to be attempting to equal them.
As Tevez joined Manchester United in the summer of 2007, many wondered how Sir Alex Ferguson might really pull the most out of the Argentine, Rooney, and Ronaldo all at the same time.
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Those issues, of course, now seem to be completely ridiculous. During the 2007-08 season, the trio combined for 79 goals, propelling the team to its tenth Premier League and second Champions League win. Their link-up play often bordered on the barbaric.
Trophies started to flood through the red half of Manchester after Tevez and Ronaldo left in 2009, but when David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal, and Jose Mourinho each attempted and struggled to restore the club's defensive ferocity, many supporters find themselves yearning for the 07-08 clique.
On Thursday night, no one could have criticized Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for reacting to Cavani, Pogba, and Fernandes' performances like a scientist might after eventually cracking a formula that had long eluded his counterparts. "Eureka!" In a parallel world, the Norwegian possibly exclaimed into a BT Sport microphone, "I've really achieved it!"
Few could have imagined the three-man masterclass that was about to unfold as Roma arrived at Old Trafford for the first leg of their Europa League semi-final. Although Cavani, Pogba, and Fernandes have all frequently inspired, top results from all three in the same game have proved difficult to come by.
Pogba caught the ball on the left flank, pirouetted gracefully away from Chris Smalling, pulled the ball beyond the grasp of Amadou Diawara's toes, and fed Cavani on the edge of the box after just eight minutes.
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A flash of red darted into the penalty box, and the Uruguayan cushioned a flawless pass into the hands of his teammate. Fernandes iced the cake beautifully, leaving a chipped finish.
And as Roma flipped the game on its head before halftime thanks to Lorenzo Pellegrini and Edin Dzeko, the tourists would have been left with a feeling of fear after seeing what the United trio might do.
They were at it again two minutes into the second half, with potentially a stronger score. Pogba's long ball through the heart of Roma's midfield reached Cavani, who turned and passed it to Fernandes. The Portuguese midfielder chipped a delicate pass back into the hands of the attacker, and his first-time side-footed finish curved wonderfully into the top corner.
Cavani scored his second goal shortly after the hour mark, snatching a loose ball after replacement goalkeeper Antonio Mirante could only parry Aaron Wan-strike. Bissaka's It was 4-2 just five minutes later. Smalling tripped Cavani as a low Marcus Rashford cross-searched for the Uruguayan's instinctive near-post sprint. Fernandes, unsurprisingly, made no mistakes from the start.
Roma was pleading for salvation with 74 minutes left on the clock. A short corner from Luke Shaw was played to Fernandes, whose first-time cross was ideally weighted for Pogba to score with a header. 5:2. Eleven minutes later, replacement Mason Greenwood stormed onto a Cavani pass to make it six for the night, effectively putting an end to the tie with 90 minutes remaining in Rome.
Rooney, Tevez, and Ronaldo's ruthlessness were one of their best attributes as a team. There was no time to feel sorry for those they were destroying. This latest classification can also be said to be of the same category.
Although they have several variations in terms of physical traits and playing styles, the central characteristics and professional understanding of one another are crucially shared by all trios.
In a perfect future, Solskjaer will keep the three players until the summer transfer deadline. Even if next season starts without Cavani or Pogba, or both, they have provided United manager Jose Mourinho with a vital template for assembling another legendary attacking trident.
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