The most glaring one is that the local club opened their newly rebuilt stadium just in time for the beginning of the season. Beijing Guoan spent the previous three seasons at a temporary ground in the west of the city. And this new stadium, built on the grounds of the old one, was purpose-built for the beautiful game. As anyone would imagine, the buzz around the new ground led to a sellout for the opening match back in April and that sentiment has continued ever since.

What’s the point of fandom if you’re only on board when it’s easy? Liverpool’s rough start to the season certainly engenders some despair, but if we were honest, we saw this coming last season.