We're midway through the Premier League season and the top half of the table is not exactly what most pundits would have envisaged at the start of the campaign. It is actually a refreshing situation unless you are a supporter of the two big Manchester clubs who have suffered a particularly unsettling time.
City's extraordinary slump has been well-documented and fans have witnessed the strange sight of Pep Guardiola apparently at a loss of how to resolve things.
This has led to Liverpool taking over the running and Arne Slot's talented squad are doing it in style to become clear favourites. Arsenal have tucked into second place while Newcastle's improved form has seen them move up to fifth.
But the outstanding performance has come from Nottingham Forest who after struggling for two seasons now find themselves in third place under the guidance of Nuno Espirito Santo. Also deserving mention are Bournemouth who despite their limited resources sit seventh in the table. It is a remarkable effort by this small club.
There are also a couple of notable absentees from the top half. Tottenham Hotspur have blown hot and cold and as a result are in 11th place. Faring even worse are Manchester United in lowly 14th with new boss Ruben Amorim publicly admitting it is tougher than he expected at Old Trafford. It would seem United desperately need some new faces on the pitch.
At the bottom it has been a tough start to the season for the newly-promoted teams which currently occupy the three relegation slots. Southampton look just about gone while Ipswich and Leicester are also in trouble although the Tractor Boys will have been heartened by their first home win with the upset victory over Chelsea.
Both Ipswich and Leicester will need a couple of teams above them to suffer a bad run which is not beyond the realms of possibility in this topsy-turvy season. At present Wolves, Everton and Crystal Palace look the most vulnerable.
Leading the Championship race are pre-season favourites Leeds United followed by Burnley and Sheffield United who were both relegated from the Premier League last season. Also in the running are Sunderland, desperate to get back in the top flight after seven long seasons.
The other end of the table has seen the departure of Wayne Rooney from bottom-placed Plymouth Argyle. It was always going to be a tough job with an already struggling team hit by injuries. To be fair to the former England star he left the club in a dignified manner and was said to be very popular with the players.
Other clubs facing a relegation battle in the Championship include Hull, Cardiff and Portsmouth.
Sitting at the top of League One are the surprise team of the season Wycombe Wanderers along with favourites Birmingham City who are looking to bounce back after their embarrassing relegation last season. In third place are Wrexham and the Hollywood-backed Welsh side appear to sustaining the momentum which has seen them win two successive promotions.
Runaway leaders in League Two are Walsall, eight points clear of a large chasing pack. At the foot of the table both Morecambe and Carlisle United have half a season to avoid falling out of the Football League.
One thing for sure is that in the coming months there will be plenty of nail-biting battles in all four divisions as some clubs chase promotion while others will purely settle for survival.