Ipswich Town and Leicester City have made the best-ever 20 game starts to a Championship season in history.
The record-breaking duo sit in the top two places ahead of the midweek games, with the Foxes at the summit having accrued 49 points (W16 D1 L3) from a possible 60.
Town, meanwhile, are just a point behind, with 48 from the potential 60 (W15 D3 L2).
Those staggering returns make them the greatest two starts to a season after 20 matches that the second tier has ever seen.
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The Blues are a point better off than the previous record, held by the 2005/6 Reading side, along with the Wolves teams of 2008/9 and 2017/18.
Their flying starts also suggest - and whisper this quietly - that both teams will be promoted to the Premier League.
Of course, both boss Kieran McKenna and CEO Mark Ashton will tell you that they don't look at the table and just focus on the daily process - and there's clearly a long way to go yet.
READ MORE: Stuart Watson's talking points ahead of tonight's trip to Watford
But, of the other top 15 best starts in Championship history, every team has gone on to be promoted, many as league champions.
You can see that table here...
Both #LCFC & #itfc have made the BEST EVER starts to a @SkyBetChamp season after 20 games 🤯
— Sky Bet (@SkyBet) December 11, 2023
History is being made in the 23/24 #EFL season 👏 pic.twitter.com/8NX3st6g5g
Speaking recently to Stuart Watson in an exclusive interview, Ashton said of the Premier League: “Someone said to me a couple of weeks ago ‘do you start preparing for the Premier League now?’
"I actually think we started preparing for the Premier League the day this ownership group walked through the door.
“Everyone has seen the changes we’ve made on and off the pitch. We try and set Premier League standards right across the board."
WATCH: Our exclusive Mark Ashton interview
He added: “I can honestly say to you the words ‘Premier League’ very rarely get mentioned. We talk about Premier League processes and setting the highest standards.
“The conversations this week are all about the quality of pitches at the training ground and how we probably need to stitch one or more of the pitches because that will drive the standards even higher.
“If we keep focused on processes we firmly believe that will take us where we want to get to.
"When? There but for the width of a post I can’t tell you. I promise you though, that’s our mantra – to stay on the process."
Town and Leicester meet at Portman Road on Boxing Day (7.45pm) in a clash which is shaping up to be one of the most-anticipated games in Championship history.
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