No team have ever finished as far ahead as Manchester City did last season and not retained the English Premier League title.
Nineteen points. That was the daunting gap between City and Manchester United, but it felt a world apart in terms of the football they played and the dimensions between them. Even the statistics, as great as they are, do not reflect the gulf.
No team have ever previously hit a century of points, as City did. Before last season, the biggest gap between first and second in the Premier League era was 18 points.
That was achieved by United in 2000 and they retained the title the following campaign in the middle of a run of three consecutive crowns.
And that is the challenge for City. To become the first team, since United in 2009, to retain the league title and as their demanding manager Pep Guardiola has outlined: to do it not just again, but better.
And that challenge starts against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium today.A glimpse has already been offered. Guardiola spoke about the hunger to win more titles, to go again, before the Community Shield against Chelsea last Sunday and City captain Vincent Kompany, one of those who returned early from his post-World Cup holiday, has revealed the mindset within the squad. In one phrase, Kompany encapsulated Guardiola's approach. "We prepared for Chelsea like it was a Champions League final," the 32-year-old defender said.
GUILE IN DEFENCE
Arsenal fans heading to their clash with City will do so with a sense of excitement and a little trepidation as new manager Unai Emery begins the post-Wenger era.
Emery will need to reverse a dreadful recent record for the club against City if the new era in north London is not to start in disappointing fashion. In the three matches between the two last season, City won 9-1 on aggregate.
Arsenal have strengthened their defence with German keeper Bernd Leno arriving from Bayer Leverkusen while former Juventus defender and Switzerland skipper Stephan Lichtsteiner and Greek Sokratis Papastathopoulos will add guile.
Kompany said that apart from Kevin de Bruyne, Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling, this City team were no more talented than their previous title-winning sides. It is true that the core, in effect, is the same, with Kompany, Sergio Aguero and David Silva still contributing hugely, six years after their first championship. But there are clear differences in Guardiola's squad depth.
"What drives us is competition. It is ruthless. There is no choice really. There are a lot of hungry lads who want to play," Kompany said. All at City expect the gap to be reduced but what they are demanding is that it only happens because their rivals get better.City have strengthened, with the adornment of £60m (R1bn) Riyad Mahrez, and the return of fullback Benjamin Mendy, but the Community Shield highlighted that the desire of even experienced, older players to go again and, at the other end of the scale in terms of their careers, the determination of Bernardo Silva and, even younger, the 18-year-old Phil Foden to be part of the project.
City are the ones to beat and over a 38-game season it is difficult to see them not gaining enough points to be at the top.
REDS IN BUOYANT MOOD
Into this come the challengers and there is a widespread sense that after the 4-3 league defeat they inflicted on City, Liverpool are best placed to give something all want to see: a title race.
The Reds, buoyant after a close-season spending spree, host equally busy West Ham United today.
Jürgen Klopp's side, bolstered by Brazil keeper Alisson from AS Roma, compatriot Fabinho and midfielder Guinean Naby Keita, look, at the moment at least, the most likely to close the gap on City...