Carlo Ancelotti and Mikel Arteta learned the size of the tasks ahead of them as they watched Everton and Arsenal play out a drab goalless draw at Goodison Park.
Everton announced shortly before the match that Ancelotti had signed a four-and-a-half-year deal, while Arteta was also in the stands having put pen to paper at Arsenal on Friday.
Ancelotti certainly represents a coup on paper for Everton given his CV, but lifting the Toffees out of their current malaise represents a very different challenge to his usual task of delivering silverware at the world's biggest clubs.
The 60-year-old immediately confirmed that he would be retaining the services of coach Duncan Ferguson, praising the Scot for his work as interim boss.
Ferguson's only defeat in four tough fixtures came on penalties against Leicester in the Carabao Cup in midweek and he used his programme notes to thank the fans and players, saying the experience had surpassed his expectations.
Freddie Ljungberg has been considerably less successful since stepping in following the sacking of Unai Emery, winning just one of his six games, and this performance summed up Arsenal's troubles.
Ozil omission highlights one of Arteta’s greatest problems
Of all the issues Mikel Arteta has to address when he starts work on Sunday, the situation surrounding Mesut Ozil will be near the top of his list.
The German’s relationship with Unai Emery broke down dramatically and he encountered similar difficulties with interim head coach Freddie Ljungberg.
Ozil was not fit for this trip to Everton, but Ljungberg revealed in his pre-match interview with BT Sport he would not have selected the 31-year-old anyway.
The attacking midfielder kicked his gloves in anger when substituted in the defeat to Manchester City last week and that has clearly not gone down well with Ljungberg.
Arteta now faces the task of trying to reintegrate Ozil back into the squad after a season that has not gone to plan for the German.
Arteta did play alongside Ozil for three years at Arsenal, so perhaps he is the man to finally get the best out of the playmaker?
Chambers shows why he must be one of Arsenal’s starting centre-backs
The heart of defence has been a problem for Arsenal all season as they have struggled to find a partnership that works.
Whether it has been two or three at the back, the Gunners have leaked goals and Arteta will be tasked with stopping the rot.
One player who has not had much of a chance to stake his claim to start is Calum Chambers who, after starting centre-back on the opening day at Newcastle in a 1-0 win, found himself shifted to full-back during the following month.
The 24-year-old has shown himself to be an able deputy there, but this performance against Everton highlighted how he needs to be at the heart of Arsenal’s defence.
David Luiz may have been one of the most senior players on the pitch, but it was Chambers who commanded the back four.
The Englishman looked assured in possession too - an attribute Arteta will surely like - and he must get more action at centre-back under Arsenal’s new head coach.
Ljungberg shows Arteta the kids are alright
Not since the final day of the 2010/11 season had Arsenal fielded a younger starting XI than they did on Saturday against Everton.
Given this was Duncan Ferguson’s last game in charge before Carlo Ancelotti takes over - and the hostile atmosphere Goodison Park can generate - you feared for how they would get on.
The youngsters, however, excelled after being given the chance by Ljungberg to impress in front of the watching Arteta in the stands.
Bukayo Saka was perhaps the pick of the bunch, shining at left-back both going forward and in defence to the point where you wondered if he might push Sead Kolasinac for his place in the team when he returns from injury in January.
The 18-year-old was one of four teenagers who started and the other three - Emile Smith Rowe, Gabriel Martinelli and Reiss Nelson - caught the eye too.
Smith Rowe struggled in the first half, giving away possession too cheaply, but he improved after the break, while Martinelli and Nelson were constant threats out wide.
Plenty, it would seem, for Arteta to ponder ahead of his first game in charge against Bournemouth on Boxing Day.
Arsenal break clean sheet duck with gritty performance
Before Saturday, you had to go all the back to October 6 to find the last time Arsenal kept a clean sheet in any competition.
The Gunners have been leaking goals left, right and centre - but on Saturday against Everton they finally ended a run of 14 matches without a clean sheet.
In truth, it was no more than their performance deserved as for the first time in a long while we saw fight and passion from the Gunners.
Speaking in his first press conference on Friday, Arteta spoke about how he wanted work rate and pressing from his players, and watching on from the stands he will have seen just that.
The front four attackers, in particular, worked back time and time again to put in blocks and tackles as Arsenal ground out a 0-0 draw.
It wasn’t pretty, it certainly wasn’t eye-catching, but it was the sort of performance that is sometimes needed when results aren’t going your way.
