The last team to take the Premier League title from Manchester City or Liverpool was Chelsea, back in 2017, but they have failed to top 74 points in any of the five seasons since.
So much has changed in the Premier League since 2017, with Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola both comprehensively putting their mark on English football since. Between City and Liverpool, the two sides have recorded points tallies of 92, 93, 97, 98, 99 and 100 in the last five years, sharing the title and also seven domestic trophies between them.
It's no wonder that other sides are starting to copy the two standout leaders to try and catch them, with Chelsea's transfer activity this summer a perfect — and very literal — case in point.
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Last summer, when City spent £100m on Jack Grealish, Chelsea spent effectively the same amount to re-sign Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan. While Grealish spent a slow-but-steady season of gradual improvement, Lukaku failed to justify his transfer fee and has now re-joined Inter Milan on loan for a fee of just £10m.
In fairness to Chelsea, they have so far kept faith with Thomas Tuchel when they have previously discarded managers after trophy-less seasons, although the Champions League won last year probably gave him some credit, as well as the change in ownership possibly bringing in a change in managerial strategy.
Because if new owner Todd Boehly looks at how to catch City and Liverpool, allowing one talented manager to build a squad over a number of years would be a good place to start.
And it seems Boehly is taking a leaf out of City's book in the transfer market, too. They have been linked with Leeds' Raphinha, which would be a signing that mirrors City's strategy of signing the best players from clubs lower down the Premier League to strengthen themselves and weaken a rival.
They also seem to be adopting another City transfer tactic, which is to weaken a direct title rival wherever possible, or even least another 'Big Six' side. City have had success in signing Riyad Mahrez, Kyle Walker, John Stones and Raheem Sterling from top half Premier League teams in recent years, getting a dual benefit even if those signings come at a higher price.
So it's no surprise to see Chelsea take advantage of City's apparent new stance to sell to domestic rivals by asking about Raheem Sterling's availability, with other City players linked in recent days.
Nathan Ake is the latest name to be linked with Stamford Bridge, along with Aleks Zinchenko and previously Gabriel Jesus. It seems if Chelsea can't beat City in the Premier League, they will try to weaken them and take players who know what it takes to win the title in this new era.
But Chelsea should also beware, as they are not the first club to try and copy City in the transfer market. Manchester United have tried, and failed, to match City for the likes of Mahrez, Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and others, while players including Harry Maguire, Alexis Sanchez, Fred and Cristiano Ronaldo were all wanted by City until United offered a price over the value the Blues were willing to stretch to.
The fates of those players show that City generally know what they're doing in the transfer market. If they pull out of signing a player, or decide to sell them, they are regularly justified in their decisions. Just because City are interested in a player doesn't mean they will be a success at another club — and just because a player has played for City equally brings no guarantees of success elsewhere.
As Chelsea appear to be linked with virtually every City squad member this summer, they could do worse than asking United how their record of trying to compete with the Blues has gone in recent years. It certainly hasn't got them closer to knocking the top two off their perch.
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