ONLY three teams in the first 12 years of the A-League won their first four games of the season.
Melbourne Victory (2006-07), Brisbane Roar (2011-12) and Sydney FC (2016-17) all went on to win the grand final.
Melbourne City became the fourth on Saturday night with its 2-0 defeat of Adelaide United, in the process moving to within one of its all-time best winning streak of five, set in 2011.
We won’t join the dots to silverware just yet, that can wait until after Friday night.
Because the visit to AAMI Park of the defending champions and the team still regarded as this season’s title favourite, Sydney, will be a massive test of City’s credentials.
Win that game and the lid may be off, even at this early stage of the campaign.
But regardless of the outcome, dire pre-season predictions of City falling down the table — perhaps even out of the six - on the back of unheralded recruits and an even more unfancy coach have proven to be way, way, off the mark.
New boss Warren Joyce has turned a leaky side that conceded 94 goals in its past two seasons - an average of 1.64 a game - into a defensive beast, having only conceded once in its first four outings.