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Now, we're getting to the stage where we can gauge whether or not this season is indeed all that different. Across Europe, there have been shocks and surprises as football moves through the calendar at an unprecedented pace, with some of the continent's long-running dynasties under real pressure.
This weekend could be a big one in a number of title races and, to make sure you keep across what promises to be a pivotal weekend, we've picked out the five major games to keep an eye on.
Arming yourself with statistics provided by Fotmob, get ready for a typically action-packed few days.
RB Leipzig vs Augsburg
Competition: Bundesliga
Kickoff: Friday, 19:30 GMT
With league leaders Bayern Munich away at the Club World Cup, RB Leipzig's meeting at home with Augsburg is surely a must-win game. Currently seven points off the Bundesliga champions, Julian Nagelsmann's side go into the fixture in great form, having won their last three games without conceding.
The smart money, of course, would be on Leipzig. With so many potential routes to goal (four players are tied on four goals apiece in their scoring rank) they boast a wonderfully varied attack. Their opponents, meanwhile, have lost five of the last six games and haven't won at the Red Bull Arena since 2014.
If they stand any chance, four-goal star Daniel Caligiuri will surely have to feed off scraps and carry the attack against a home side who have proven imperious of late.
Indeed, they've already beaten Augsburg twice this season - preventing them from scoring in both league and cup competition - but the pressure is on this time.
For a club who have struggled to get over the line in key moments over the last few years, it does present somewhat of a banana skin.
Napoli vs Juventus
Competition: Serie A
Kickoff: Saturday, 17:00 GMT
With Gennaro Gattuso reportedly fighting for his job at Napoli, the visit of former teammate Andrea Pirlo and a Juventus side returning to form will be the last thing he wants to see.
Any meeting of the two Serie A giants is a big enough occasion given the historic rivalry between them but, with the Old Lady heading into the fixture off the back of six straight wins (starting with their victory over Napoli in the Suppercoppa) Gattuso faces a mammoth task.
His side have won only two of the last six games but, promisingly, they have been able to hold off Juve's might in recent times. The 19/20 season saw Napoli twice beat their great rivals on home soil and, with Victor Osimhen recently returning, there are plenty of reasons for the visitors to be wary of the trip south.
Hirving Lozano and Lorenzo Insigne have proven palpable goal threats all season, hitting nine apiece, and midfielder Matteo Politano has five himself from the last six games.
Still, the evergreen Cristiano Ronaldo is on fire at the moment. Fed by the increasingly creative Alvaro Morata (who has recorded two assists in as many games) the iconic Portuguese marksman has scored 16 goals in 17 league fixtures.
With Giorgio Chiellini returning to plug the gaps in defence too, it will have to be another famous night at the Stadio San Paolo if Gattuso is going to relieve any pressure. For Juventus, another win would have them ramp up the pressure on both Milan clubs in a title race they didn't seem to be in only a few weeks ago.
Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur
Competition: Premier League
Kickoff: Saturday, 17:30 GMT
When Manchester City lost away at Tottenham Hotspur in November, few could have imagined the changes in form for both teams. Back then, Spurs were being touted as potential title winners while accusations of Pep Guardiola going stale at City emerged.
Well, City have since won 15 straight games while Jose Mourinho's side have dropped to eighth in the division, winning only two of their last six. Perhaps the only solace the North London outfit can take here is Mourinho's increasingly good record against his old nemesis.
While in charge of Tottenham, the self-proclaimed 'Special One' is unbeaten against City, winning the last two games in typical masterclasses of counter-attacking football.
Given Mourinho's tendency to deploy a low-block, this looks like another big game for Phil Foden. Having put Liverpool to the sword last time out, the 20-year-old's ability to weave around compact defences could be crucial in helping create space for the likes of Raheem Sterling or the recently-prolific Ilkay Gundogan.
For Tottenham, Harry Kane's return to fitness has come at the best time. Highlighting Kane as a dangerman might not exactly be the most profound of insights but, frankly, Spurs' over-reliance on him has never been greater.
None of his teammates can match his creative output (11 assists) and, if Mourinho's outfit are going to hit City on the break, the England captain will be trusted to find the runners with his trademark through balls from deep.
Real Madrid vs Valencia
Competition: La Liga
Kickoff: 15:15 GMT
Since the 1996 deal that saw Valencia's Pedja Mijatović move to Real Madrid, meetings between the two clubs have been fierce.
With Los Che furious with the Madrid giants, Valencia reveled in beating them to two league titles during the early 2000s, much as they did when they ran away 4-1 winners of the reverse of this fixture back in November.
So far, that has been the highlight of Valencia's season as they sit 12th in La Liga, winning only two of their last six games across all competitions. Top scorer Carlos Soler bagged two penalties against Madrid a few months ago and, frankly, his team are reliant on him to carry the goal-scoring burden, with no one coming close to matching his eleven goal contributions.
For Madrid, anything less than a win will surely leave city rivals Atletico with a clear run at the title. Trailing them by five points having played two more games, another slip up against Valencia looks like it would be a death knell in their title defence.
Raphael Varane's recent rich run of form has come at a good time, however. With Sergio Ramos out of action, the Frenchman has recovered from the poor spell he endured a few months ago, proving a genuine goal threat too, scoring twice in a recent win over Huesca.
In order to guard against another disaster against Valencia, the 2018 World Cup winner will have to marshall his defence as the leader in place of Ramos. Going forward, his threat from set-pieces is looking a lot like that of his illustrious central defensive partner too.
Inter vs Lazio
Competition: Serie A
Kickoff: 19.45 GMT
Any meeting of two of Italy's 'Seven Sisters' conjures up all sorts of images of the great Football Italia program that donned our screens in the 1990s. Indeed, Inter Milan against Lazio is a mouth-watering fixture at the top of Serie A.
Visitors Lazio head to San Siro in excellent form, winning all of their last six league games, spearheaded by the formidable Ciro Immobile. Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic may be taking plenty of the plaudits at the moment but the Italian forward has proven last season's Golden Boot win was no fluke.
Eight of his fourteen goals have come in the last ten games as he gears up to take on an Inter side vying for the title themselves. Though the recent loss to Juventus over two legs in the Coppa Italia was disappointing, Antonio Conte's side have recovered in the league of late, winning their last two fixtures after a run of just one victory in four.
Inter's Nicolo Barella has established himself as perhaps the best midfielder in Italy this season, showing an ability to combine goal contributions with his boundless tenacity, scoring an absolute stunner against Fiorentina last week.
Back in February 2020, Lazio beat Inter to all but end Conte's title chase while moving them to within touching distance of Juventus. If they do so again, the Rome giants will be right back in the mix.
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