It has already been said many times but the bizarre nature of this season, owing to the interruption by the World Cup midway through really cannot be overstated in terms of its potential impact at club level.
As Manchester City host Brentford at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon, it will be the two side's final Premier League game for over six weeks, as players either jet off to Qatar, or go on some form of warm weather training camp.
Precisely how it will affect the current runners and riders for the title, top four, and even top half remains unknown, with the situation perhaps only being slightly resembled by the lockdown hiatus in the 2019/20 season.
That year, Man City fell short of the top spot to Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, and it is another team that play in red who they find themselves behind in the form of Arsenal, albeit only by two points.
Meanwhile, Brentford have had a moderately positive first few months of this campaign, sitting in 11th place heading into what will undoubtedly be a very tough away day for Thomas Frank's team.
Team News
Man City
One player who will almost certainly be returning to Pep Guardiola's starting eleven is Joao Cancelo, who missed City's win over Chelsea in midweek due to the red card he picked up in their last league fixture against Fulham a week ago.
In terms of other team news, Guardiola remained coy about the chances of Erling Haaland featuring, simply saying, "We will see. After today's training we will see," when asked.
Meanwhile, Kalvin Phillips is available in the matchday squad, although another player who has been called up to the England squad in the form of Kyle Walker is, according to the City boss, not ready to return for this one.
Brentford
In his pre-match press conference, Thomas Frank gave an update on multiple players who have been absent in recent weeks, starting with Vitaly Janelt, who missed Brentford's midweek Carabao Cup loss to Gillingham.
The boss confirmed that he would be available again, as would Christian Norgaard, who made his first appearance since the first month of the season in the aforementioned Wednesday night game.
Four players who will not be available however are Kristoffer Ajer, Shandon Baptiste, Aaron Hickey and Pontus Jansson, with their recovery time meaning that they cannot return until at least after the World Cup.
Likely Lineups
Man City
Ederson; Stones, Akanji, Laporte, Cancelo; De Bruyne, Rodri, Gundogan; Silva, Haaland, Foden
Brentford
Raya; Mee, Jorgensen, Pinnock; Roerslev, Norgaard, Janelt, Jensen, Henry; Mbeumo, Toney
Key Players
Man City - Erling Haaland
Was this even really a question? Erling Haaland has been far and away the standout player in the Premier League this season, topping the goalscoring charts with 18 goals in just 12 games for Pep Guardiola's team.
That his tally has come from an expected goals (xG) total of just 11.0 makes his numbers all the more remarkable, especially when you add to that his three assists which he has picked up along the way too.
His fitness for this game remains an open question, but the striker will also have the added benefit of not going to the World Cup, meaning plenty of time to rest and recuperate by the time the league resumes on Boxing Day too, making him an even more threatening prospect for opponents.
Brentford - Ivan Toney
For most players, eight goals in 13 league games would be a fairly respectable total, and it is certainly not a bad amount, putting them in fifth place of the goalscoring charts in the English top flight so far.
Ivan Toney will certainly be pleased with his form, even if comparing yourself to the likes of Haaland may make your tally appear slightly diminished, but with the difference in quality of players around the two strikers, it is the Bees' forward that appears to have the harder job.
The 26-year-old will rightly feel a little aggrieved that he was not picked as part of Gareth Southgate's England squad for the World Cup, but he can at least take some comfort from the fact his opponent's striker will also not be heading to Qatar either.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
It is a trip up to the North West for Brentford as Man City play hosts at the Etihad Stadium.
What time is kick-off?
As mentioned a little earlier, it is the fabled early kick-off on Saturday, with the match getting underway at 12:30 PM GMT.
How can I watch?
Those watching from the UK can catch this game live on BT Sport 1, as coverage begins from 11:30 AM GMT.