Is the lack of European football helping Chelsea and Liverpool?
Whether that's the case or not, we'll find out as the season wears on.
But after last weekend, that's how the Premier League table reads with both clubs first and second respectively.
This week too has seen Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham, Leicester City, Manchester United and Southampton all busy with Champions League and Europa League commitments.
And the fixture list throws up some tricky games for the aforementioned teams.
Anichebe's on song
After a terrible start to the Premier League season, Sunderland have now won twice in a row.
It's unlikely they'll make it three as next up on Saturday is an exciting Liverpool team that has plenty of goals in them.
However, the Reds do leak goals at the other end while Jermain Defoe is the main threat from Sunderland, Victor Anichebe will be motivated to make his mark as a former Evertonian whether as a starter or from the bench.
He's also in the form of his life with three goals in four games.
At this rate, he will break his own highwater mark for Premier League goals. Back in the 2012-13 campaign, he managed six goals in the league for Everton, after scoring five the previous year.
That's as good as it has gotten for him with consecutive seasons of three goals for West Brom in 2013-14 and 2014-15, before a forgettable campaign last season when he scored no goals in 14 games in all competitions.
But even if his current rate of three goals in four games this season was to peter out as one might expect, he's still on course to at least match his six-goal in a season record.
Sunderland's Jermain Defoe (left) celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game with teammate Victor Anichebe during the Premier League match at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland. Picture by Owen Humphreys PA Wire/PA Images
Defensive power
Chelsea versus Tottenham will be a tightly contested London derby.
One reason for that is that it's a meeting of the sides with the best defensive records in the Premier League this season.
Chelsea have conceded nine overall, but are on a run of six games without conceding a single goal since the 3-0 loss to Arsenal.
The switch to manager Antonio Conte's favoured 3-4-3 has paid dividends and the form of Eden Hazard and Diego Costa at the other end has meant goals aplenty.
Tottenham have a better defensive record overall however, conceding just eight goals and also remaining unbeaten after 12 fixtures.
But it's the other end where the return of Harry Kane is proving welcome. They managed three goals in a comeback against West Ham with Kane scoring twice. But that was only the fourth time they had scored more than one goal in a league match this season.
It was also the first time since the 2-0 win over Manchester City at the start of October that they had done so.
In that sense, a stalemate at Stamford Bridge on Saturday might not be a major surprise.
Michail Antonio's aerial threat
Manchester United have found a little bit of form again even if they couldn't hold on against Arsenal last week.
They will have to be vigilant aerially at West Ham come to Old Trafford on Sunday.
Michail Antonio has been scoring regularly for the Hammers this season but they have all come from the same source.
Six goals and all being with his head!
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