The functional consequences of divergent phage evolution on infection have not been analysed until now. By using transcriptomics analyses, Blasdel et al. compared the infection strategies of two evolutionarily related phages, PAK_P3 and PAK_P4, against the same Pseudomonas aeruginosa host strain. They showed that despite their limited DNA sequence similarity, the global infection strategies of these phages were conserved and relied on the temporal regulation of gene expression. This included the use of specific antisense transcripts and the rapid degradation of host mRNA. Moreover, specific adaptations had evolved in each virus. Indeed, the authors identified distinct core gene expression patterns and the manipulation of host gene expression, as exemplified by the specific manipulation of iron metabolism by PAK_P4. Altogether, this study shows that despite their genomic divergence, phages rely on conserved ancestral infection mechanisms.