Sitting pretty at the top of La Liga for at least the next five weeks is precisely where Xavi Hernandez would have wanted his Barcelona side to be.
Given the various injuries he’s had to contend with, and patchy form from one or two of his high profile stars, it’s hard to argue against him having made a sterling start to this campaign.
Thirty three goals scored is as many as Real Madrid, and only five conceded (three against Los Blancos) is, by a distance, the best in the Spanish top flight.
Drill down into the detail, however, and you see that against the top teams, Xavi’s coaching nous has been found wanting.