Norwich City have certainly started the season in superb fashion culminated by last weekend’s victory over Premier League champions Manchester City moving the Canaries into the top half of the league table.
Thanks to the prolific form of August's Premier League player of the month Teemu Pukki with six league goals in five games, Norwich are already announcing themselves to the division that they are not going to be the whipping boys many anticipated following the Canaries promotion from the Championship last season.
Where the Finland marksman has been extremely influential in the start of the season, with his six goals being bolstered by two assists including one to Todd Cantwell on Saturday, there is another key member of the Yellow attack.
Emi Buendia has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water, notching four assists in his opening five games, sitting just behind the illustrious company of Kevin de Bruyne in the assists table.
Buendia put in a top-class display against the champions, being accredited with two assists, for Kenny McClean’s opener and Pukki’s eventual winner.
Should we be surprised?
The answer is quite frankly ... no!
Buendia joined the Canaries before the start of the Championship winning season the summer of 2018 from Getafe.
In his second season, the Argentinian forward sat in joint fourth position for the number of assists with 11 but also contributed with eight goals along the way.
The talent of Buendia has always been unquestionable from the start. In 2009, Real Madrid no less secured his services for their youth academy.
Getafe then picked him up from the 13-time European cup winners where he performed well through the youth team to earn himself a call up to the senior side in 2014 at just 17 years old.
When he was loaned out to Cultural Leonesa, Buendia showed his class with seven goals and 11 assists and, when James Maddison made his move to Leicester City, Norwich City acted quickly to bring in the young Argentinian.
It’s not just his impressive statistics that have earned him the respect and admiration of the Carrow Road faithful.
As seen with Pukki’s winner on Saturday night, Buendia was engaged in the high pressing game Daniel Farke has implemented at Carrow Road, with the Argentinian’s alertness forcing fellow countryman Nicolas Otamendi into making a catastrophic mistake.
It was clear to see that all of the Canaries had worked immensely hard to earn the result, and the high pressing game against the Champions took it’s toll on the players.
However, countless times, Buendia had to drop deeper and deeper to keep out the dangerous City attacked but still had enough left in the tank to get his side playing game.
It was a textbook performance for a creative midfielder who has to do his part on the defensive side before reaping the rewards on the attacking side as well.
Burnley will prove a tough test for the midfielder
Burnley are next up for the Canaries, which could prove to be a difficult game for Buendia and company.
The Clarets are renowned for being resolute behind the ball, getting back in numbers to protect the net, and Sean Dyche plays a very traditional 4-4-2 formation to stifle the opposition’s creative players.
Buendia will have to be at his wonderful best against a midfield that doesn’t let a lot get past them and do an exceptional job at getting the ball forward to Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes, in what could be a very even game at Turf Moor.