Five wins from five. A three-point lead at the top of the table. And a £125m deadline-day signing who has slotted in as if he's been at the Etihad for years.
Enzo Fernandez's move from Chelsea to Manchester City on deadline day was the transfer story of the summer. Three league matches later, the narrative has taken a rather lopsided turn.
City have won every Premier League game since the Argentina midfielder completed his £125m switch. The champions have beaten Coventry City 1-0, edged past Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford, and dispatched Sunderland 5-3. Fernandez made his debut in the Coventry victory, helped the ten men win the derby, and scored his first City goal on Sunday — a curling free-kick in the Sunderland win.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have failed to win in the league during the same period. A 2-1 defeat at Arsenal, a 2-2 home draw with Hull City, and a 3-0 loss at Brentford on Friday night have yielded exactly one point from three matches. The contrast is stark enough to make even the most stoic Chelsea supporter wince.
Enzo Maresca's side head into the international break with a perfect record. Five wins from five, three points clear at the summit. The derby win at Old Trafford came with ten men, and Pro Ref later acknowledged that Erling Haaland's winner should have been disallowed for offside. Fine margins, but City are not complaining.
Fernandez's impact has been immediate. A debut in a narrow win, a battling performance in the derby, and a goal to cap it off against Sunderland. For a player who arrived with a hefty price tag and plenty of expectation, he has settled quickly.
Chelsea's struggles since his departure are their own concern, but the statistical symmetry will not have escaped anyone at Stamford Bridge. One point from three games is relegation form, not title-chasing form.
City, on the other hand, have barely missed a beat. The international break arrives at a convenient moment, but Maresca will be pleased with what he has seen so far. The title race is long, but a three-point cushion is a welcome start.