Wolverhampton Wanderers are the next Premier League side to taste the Marcelo Bielsa project at Leeds United.
It has been a barnstorming start to the campaign for die-hards and neutrals alike in West Yorkshire and now comes the end of the beginning chapter.
Monday night’s match under the lights at Elland Road will bring the curtain down on the weekend’s action and a chance for United to go make it 10 points from 15.
We spoke to Alex Dicken, the Wolves expert at our sister site BirminghamLive, for his take on the Molineux outfit and how the Whites have been perceived in the Black Country.
What's the current mood at the club and how have they started?
It's a bit mixed really. The aim is always to progress, but Wolves have been quite radical in the way they've evolved their squad this summer. Two key players of the last three years have been sold and six new ones have arrived, some of whom cost big money.
The defeat at West Ham [United] suggests there's a lot of work to be done before Wolves are anything like the quality outfit which has secured successive seventh-placed finishes, but there've also been moments of promise. Six points from a possible 12 isn't the worst start in the world, but it needs to get better from here.
What have you made of United's start? Do you see any similarities with when Wolves were promoted into the Premier League?
In terms of the way Leeds and Wolves have approached the Premier League, I see very few similarities. Both teams have a clear way of playing, but their styles couldn't be more different. Wolves are quite pragmatic and prefer a counter-attacking style, whereas Leeds have gone for the jugular in each of their games so far.
Marcelo Bielsa's side have a tendency to drag teams into crazy games of football, as we've seen with Liverpool and Manchester City recently. It clearly works for them, but you can also envisage matches where Leeds are going to be on the end of a hiding. I like the way Leeds play and I'm intrigued to see how it works against Wolves.
Who will Leeds need to be most wary of?
Raul Jimenez is the obvious one Leeds will need to be wary of, but Daniel Podence has enjoyed an excellent start to the season. He's a different type of forward to what Wolves have previously gone for under Nuno and possesses the creative qualities this team has lacked on occasions in the past. He has the potential to be a surprise package in the league this year.
What are Wolves' big weaknesses?
If Bielsa isn't aware, a 90-minute viewing of the West Ham game will show all of them. Defensively, Wolves have struggled at times this season. Manchester City could have scored more than three and West Ham could have scored more than the four they managed.
The key for opposing teams is to isolate Conor Coady, which means Willy Boly and Romain Saiss next him aren't doing their jobs properly.
Wolves are usually good at protecting him, but Michail Antonio exposed Coady's defensive flaws brutally and others have done in the past. Left wing-back is a bit of a problem position for Wolves at the moment too with Marcal having missed the last two games due to injury. Rayan Ait-Nouri has just joined from Angers, but it would be a surprise to see him thrown straight into the starting XI.
What is your score prediction?
I'd imagine Wolves will go to Elland Road with a very clear plan to not get drawn into the carnage Leeds can create. If they can do that I think they'll win 2-0.
