Leeds United have tested themselves against the best the Premier League has to offer in their first ten games back in the top flight.
Manchester City and Arsenal have visited Elland Road, while Leeds have been on their travels to face Liverpool and Everton on Merseyside. In only one of those four outings were Leeds beaten, drawing two and winning their most recent test against the Toffees.
The team are nine points above the relegation zone already and on course to retain their Premier League status if they continue to perform at current levels, however there is a long road ahead.
Many have already labelled Leeds United the new 'Entertainers' in the division, harking back to the mid-1990s when Kevin Keegan's Newcastle took the league by storm with a swashbuckling brand of attacking football.
There certainly are parallels, with Leeds' frequent shooting, relentless forward-passing and intricate attacking moves, they are a team who are very easy on the eye. However, Marcelo Bielsa may be keen to shake that tag before it becomes part of the wider footballing lexicon, mainly due to the fact that it does a disservice to his defensive players.
While the likes of Luke Ayling and Stuart Dallas can often be found in the final third, the team's ability to defend as a unit - particularly in the past two games - should not go unnoticed. Everton threatened very little from open play, and barring a couple of ruled out goals from set-plays, the Toffees were made to look rather ordinary in comparison.
United pressed, harried and hassled their most recent opponents from the first whistle, six days after exposing Arsenal's structural flaws at Elland Road with a similar approach.
To have gone about their business, limiting the likes of Arsenal and Everton - perpetual top half finishers - to infrequent and low-quality shots on goal, is a reflection of the defensive structure in place.
Everton's midfield struggled against the imperious running and recovering of possession from Kalvin Phillips and Mateusz Klich. Where there was a loose ball to be had, Leeds were never far off retrieving it. Whenever Everton entered Leeds' final third, they were pressured intensely, often by multiple players at a time.
In the end, the Blues ended up having to resort to making long runs from deep, primarily from Allan who could build up a head of steam and try to bludgeon his way through Leeds' defence.
In transition, Leeds were solid too, and well-disciplined. Liam Cooper anchored the defence, while Kalvin Phillips anchored the midfield and Leeds' other defensive players carried out a melee of auxiliary functions. There may well have been plenty of fluidity but when Leeds needed to shore up and grit their teeth, they showed they were able.
The soft underbelly on show against Crystal Palace and Leicester City appears to have subsided, and while Everton were not entirely nullified, Leeds can be pleased with their performance. Their showing was not fortunate; the three points was deserved and ample reward for a game they edged for vast periods.
A factor in Leeds' recent solidity is that Bielsa has had his first-choice defensive picks to choose from. Liam Cooper and Robin Koch have played together as a centre-back pairing in a back four in just five of Leeds' ten league outings this season. In those games they have presided over wins against Fulham and Everton, as well as draws with Arsenal and Manchester City.
The more the duo play together in the same system, the more they will come to understand each other's respective games and traits. This has been reflected in the past two outings, especially against Everton where Bielsa insisted on an unchanged starting XI.
In attack, Leeds may be effective and entertaining, but even at the back, the team are starting to get to grips with the Premier League challenge, now that first-choice personnel are available on a consistent basis.
