The first proper title race between Manchester United and Liverpool to have occurred in years rightly whetted appetites over the weekend. Yet after it, the most successful Premier League team of the past decade now have this season in their own hands.
Manchester City are two points off the top with a game in hand, a situation negotiated on the quiet as eyes fixed elsewhere. They will sit first, for a couple of hours at least, should Aston Villa be dealt with here on Wednesday evening.
The climb to this campaign’s peak has been methodical rather than lung busting.