When Manchester City fans sing 'we're not really here,' it's more out of irony nowadays than anything else. However, there's an element of truth to the chant this week.
In a poll hosted by the BBC, City are remarkably absent from a Team of the Season so far, voted for by fans after every game. City are top of the Premier League by ten points, having put together a brilliant 11-game winning streak. They beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, drew a classic at Anfield, demolished Manchester United at Old Trafford again, and put seven past Leeds among other notable results.
Yet, according to fans from around the country, not one of their players have been consistent enough to make a team of the season so far compiled of the players with the best average rating.
Instead, two Brighton defenders make the team and a Chelsea forward with just two goals is there. But no player from the best team in the division, with the best attack and best defence, is good enough.
Starting in goal, Aaron Ramsdale is the fans' choice, and in fairness he has been a fine signing by Arsenal. The only problem is, Ederson is currently leading the Golden Glove race with 11 clean sheets compared to Ramsdale's nine, and Arsenal have conceded nearly twice the goals City have.
Of course, City's brilliant defensive record is due to a whole team effort, with particularly good performances this season from Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte and Joao Cancelo, while Kyle Walker has also been consistent as ever.
Do any of them make the team, though? Of course not, as you can't overlook Shane Duffy's season at Brighton, or Tariq Lamptey's 12 outings so far, with just one assist and three clean sheets to show for it. According to fans voting every week, the Seagulls duo have been the best right-sided defensive players in the division.
Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson are fair inclusions, and into midfield the choices are more understandable too, as Declan Rice, N'Golo Kante and Conor Gallagher have been in brilliant form so far. However, to suggest they have been better than Rodri, or Bernardo Silva, or even Ilkay Gundogan, is an argument with plenty of flaws.
No player has completed more passes this season than Rodri, Cancelo, Dias or Laporte, yet none are considered. And to overlook Bernardo, performing at his very best again, is laughable. The BBC say Bernardo is City's highest-rated player with an average rating of 6.89 per game, which feels extremely harsh given his consistently brilliant performances.
Into attack, and it's hard to begrudge Mo Salah a spot, but City fans would argue that their forwards have been better than Michail Antonio and certainly Kai Havertz, who complete the team. Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus have all been consistently 6-7's out of ten all season, and all have at least eight goal contributions. Havertz has three.
It's a team that has been ridiculed among City fans on social media and used as evidence of the 'bias' from opposition fans towards their team. It's hard to counter that, as any neutral must surely admit that City have justifiable claims to have the goalkeeper with the best record, the best right-back in the league, at least one of the best centre-backs, the most consistent defensive midfielder, and two or three of the most in-form midfielders and attackers.
How many players City should have in a team of the season so far is a debate worth having, but there should be no doubt that they should be represented at all.
Perhaps it's because everyone hates City, and can't stand their success. Maybe it's because Pep Guardiola has set such high standards, that a good performance for anyone else in the league is just an average one for City. The rotation policy employed at City also means that maybe keeping a high average rating is more difficult for a City player than someone else, especially as Guardiola often encourages the focal point of each team to rotate as well as the personell.
That shouldn't prevent any player from making any team of the season, but it does possibly refer back to another chant sung by fans on the terraces: 'Boring, boring City.'
The Blues know you don't win any trophies for making a mid-season team of the best players, and they also know their strength is in their unity as a team. If fans haven't yet learned how good this City side are, then more fool them. They will continue their high standards, take their ten-point lead, and try to come back in May with something that actually matters - a trophy.
If the rest of the Premier League are prepared to underestimate them, even now, then even better.
