Bolton's renaissance under manager Owen Coyle has come at a time when his Chelsea counterpart Carlo Ancelotti seems to have been losing his grip on his side's title ambitions.
But the pair would have walked away from a chilly night at the Reebok on Monday thinking their teams are heading in different directions.
The 4-0 victory was perhaps a generous scoreline for the Londoners, but after a fine goal from Didier Drogba to set them on their way, they rarely looked troubled as they maintained a remarkable record at Bolton which has resulted in them winning eight games on the bounce without conceding a goal.
"I think we've turned the corner," said Ancelotti afterwards. "We are playing good football with a good attitude and a good mentality. I think we are coming back to fight for everything."
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While the top of the Premier League might have a familiar look to it this season, a more interesting story appears to be emerging when you cast your eyes down a little further at places six to 10.
In recent seasons this is where you might usually find the likes of Liverpool, Everton, Aston Villa, or perhaps Birmingham and Fulham, all chasing European places with more than half the season gone.
Not this term. Those sides already mentioned are further down the league. Six to 10 in the table currently reads: Sunderland, Bolton, Stoke, Newcastle and Blackpool.
A lot can still change between now and the end of the season, but there are suggestions that these teams, which include two promoted sides, have benefitted from playing in a positive manner.
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Before Sunday's goalless draw between Tottenham and Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson was happy to sing the praises of his right-back Rafael.
"He's not making any rash decisions," the United manager said in the build-up to one of the season's most widely-anticipated games. "He was quite an impulsive young boy last season but he is the kind of thing we invest in and we are getting that return now."
Rafael's dismissal during the game at White Hart Lane following a second yellow card for tripping Benoit Assou-Ekotto may lead to a reassessment of those comments. But former Arsenal right-back and Match of the Day 2 pundit Lee Dixon believes the 20-year-old Brazilian is slowly maturing into a natural successor for Gary Neville.
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Teams that have had success against Tottenham this season have generally been able to nullify the threat of Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart.
That is no easy feat with even Champions League holders Inter Milan feeling the full force of the pair, who have scored 22 goals between them in all competitions.
But one player who has been credited with curbing Bale's forays down the left, in particular, is Everton full-back Phil Neville.
The 33-year-old's no-nonsense approach helped ensure that David Moyes' team ran out 2-1 winners against Spurs at Goodison Park earlier this month, having already picked up a point at White Hart Lane in October.
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Matches are often won or lost thanks to a moment of magic or a simple error, but sometimes a manager's tactical switch or why a team or player have hit form are worthy of further investigation. That is what this blog intends to do, with the help of expert opinion, tactical statistics and, of course, your ideas.
