Rishi Sunak arrived in Salford in a politically cornered position, struggling in the polls and in need of a tide-changer.
Keir Starmer, by contrast, holds a substantial lead in the polls and appears anxious to ensure that this lead does not shrink.
The psychology of that political backdrop played out on our screens: the Labour leader looked more nervous, the Conservative prime minister more resolute.
I was hanging around outside the studio entrance when the motorcade arrived, a moment of staging that reminded both leaders of the gravity of the moment, not that they needed it.
This was no ordinary interview: senior ITV executives were waiting at the entrance to say hello and welcome us.
Once inside, the microphones were turned on, the studio audience was positioned, the opening music played, and the discussion began.
The tone and content stood out: it was often angry, aggressive, personal and crude.
I thought this was quite remarkable, given the personalities of the combatants, as neither of them were drawn to politics as a performance in itself.
We both have an instinctive love for detail and nuance.
But there isn’t much room for that in just over an hour of prime-time live broadcasting: prime time is for primary colors and punchy debate.
Mr Sunak tried to press the point that Labour would push for tax rises, but Mr Starmer was slow to dismiss this as a mistake.
Starmer has always sought to take the Conservative government’s record to court.
The difference in their worldviews was clear.
They disagreed clearly and unhesitantly on private healthcare, private education and Britain’s membership of the European Convention on Human Rights.
From a strictly news perspective, we learned nothing conclusively new.
However, these debates are meant to communicate arguments and character to the public.
But suggesting that someone has won doesn’t necessarily lead to someone changing the way they vote, of course.
So those close to Rishi Sunak who were feeling despair about their future were likely buoyed by their leader’s will to fight.
For Keir Starmer’s supporters, the brawl in Salford was a reminder that their opponents hadn’t given up yet, but there may have also been some relief that there wasn’t necessarily a game-changing, transformative moment there.
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