When the Premier League campaign begins this weekend, managers will be quick to stress that the season is long and nothing is decided in the opening weeks.
Legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly famously said "the league is a marathon not a sprint", while at Manchester United Sir Alex Ferguson used to talk about title challenges beginning properly in February.
But as the game evolves, do those two views still hold true?
The evidence suggests that at both ends of the table a fast start is now more crucial to success than ever before.
Taking the lead at the top
Before the Premier League began 29 years ago, there was less correlation between taking an early lead in the title race and actually winning the top flight.