For many, the best period of the domestic campaign is the month of December through to the start of January. There are routinely games every few days - both league matches and cup ties.
But this year, this particular part of the season has been vastly different. The start of the Christmas swing has been played out through international fixtures in the distant, warm land of Qatar after the season took a hiatus for the 2022 World Cup in mid-November.
The World Cup was unquestionably fantastic football-wise, with games even more regular than usual for this time of year. And watching England play in the competition on a day where streets were laden with snow outside will be looked back on as memorable, even while absurdly abnormal.
With all considered though, it wasn't quite the same as having the regular high volume of club fixtures that are part and parcel of what makes December such a classic footballing month. Already, with club football returning as early as two days after the spectacular World Cup final, events in Qatar feel like some peculiar dream.
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As a result of the World Cup falling at the start of winter, there are many questions over how the Christmas fixtures may play out. For European football, it is utterly uncharted territory. Lots of questions about the viability of future World Cups being staged at this time of year won't be answered until after the first few rounds of matches after the break.
The uncertainty is an exciting prospect, but similarly there is an element of unknown as to the quality that could be on display given the break enforced by the World Cup. As always around this stage of the season, it is bound to be a hectic few weeks.
But the differences are hard to ignore. There is almost a state of confusion as club football resumes, with memories having to be jogged as to what has already occurred this term. And, despite all of the midweek matches shoehorned into the schedule before the World Cup, the season isn't really even near the halfway point that it usually is at the turn of the year.
The feeling is odd and somewhat disorientating. It is almost as though we are embarking on a new season. This is indicative of the sense of a fresh start which is underlying the return of club football, which could end up working for or against sides.
One big question surrounds whether the concept of form will apply at the resumption, with sides enduring hot streaks heading into the World Cup possibly having had any momentum curtailed by the break. On the flip side of that, struggling sides will have welcomed the period of recess as time to rest themselves and take advantage of the fresh start created.
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Logically, a break from club football would imply rest periods. But many players' workloads were equally as significant on their ventures to Qatar. And, with the break being in the middle of the season, even those that remained with their clubs could not afford to stop for any prolonged period and lose their shape ahead of a fairly prompt return to action.
Of course though, those that were not selected to feature in the World Cup will still be fresher than if matches were being played at their normal regularity. Hereby, sides with less players that were in Qatar should, in theory, be the freshest, especially considering the World Cup appeared fatigue-inducing for those that got to its latter stages.
Alternatively, it can be argued that those returning from the World Cup may have an edge in terms of match fitness and match sharpness - freshness is not guaranteed to equate to sharpness. However, most will have exited the World Cup in disappointing circumstances, leading to lower morale and possibly inhibiting performances.
In any case, the pause will have produced greater perks for the teams that had more players present due to the creation of valuable time to work together ahead of the season's resumption, especially benefitting clubs with new managers.
For teams with relatively new managers at clubs with lots of World Cup representatives, for example Manchester United and Chelsea, the break will not have been anywhere near as beneficial in this regard.
Uncertainty continues to underpin plenty, with clubs that had less representatives in Qatar at least able to head into the remainder of the season with stability in terms of fitness.
At least in the early stages after the campaign restarts, managers of the elite clubs that had higher representation at World Cup will have to juggle with players' fitness wavering and different return dates. Though they do obviously have greater depth at their disposals.
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The first so-called 'big six' side back in action, United's meeting with Burnley in the Carabao Cup, which fell a mere three days after the World Cup final, summed up a fair amount of what could be expected as the season's resumption continues.
Starting with the lineup: it was a somewhat makeshift mixture of those that had exited the World Cup at various times and those that had spent the hiatus with the club.
Christian Eriksen started having been knocked out in the group stages, while Tyrell Malacia returned with the rest of the quarter-finals on Monday but started ahead of Luke Shaw after not featuring for the Netherlands. The three other starters that had been in Qatar - Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford - all had significant roles for their nations.
The reintegration of these players over the first few matches after the break is bound to be complicated. But Ten Hag managed it well against Burnley despite a relative lack of training, also introducing Antony (after an hour), Luke Shaw (after 70 minutes) and Fred (in the closing stages) following their exploits to the quarter-finals.
While only missing two players that hadn't yet returned from the World Cup (discounting the injured Diogo Dalot), the fact that these were Ten Hag's two main centre-backs - winner Lisandro Martinez and runner-up Raphael Varane - was telling once Harry Maguire was ruled out through illness. Saying that, Casemiro did a fine job deputising alongside Victor Lindelof. Still, it proves that managers will have their hands full in the coming weeks.
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When push came to shove, United actually performed fairly well in a challenging situation against tough opposition.
Emphasising the unusuality of the situation, Burnley had already played two competitive matches due to the earlier resumption of the football league - winning twice having scored three times in each. From a physical and sharpness standpoint, Burnley were in a better position.
And, despite being relegated to the Championship last term, they were not to be expected as a pushover anyway given their status as league leaders. Vincent Kompany has transformed them from being functional to being a proactive, attractive outfit that are happy to have possession, which was the case against United.
Somewhat surprisingly, United started to disprove one thesis and didn't really look leggy, matching Burnley and possibly showing the value of their 'mid-season pre-season' trip to Spain to face Cadiz and Real Betis. In fact, their intensity was flawless for the most-part and the game was generally played at a high tempo.
Miscues were not by any means absent, with some precarious instances where the ball was given away and players were caught on the ball. At times, United could count themselves fortunate that Burnley lacked a clinical edge.
These moments of sloppiness were entirely expected, of course. For those that had not been in Qatar, it showed the anticipated lack of sharpness. For those that had been at the World Cup, it displayed the fact that leeway for adaptation back to club football may be necessary.
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Amid the high intensity of the game, there were moments where United did look slightly out of ideas. But, at the same time, they posed threat and often displayed cohesion, which is credit to Ten Hag's work in terms of bringing the squad together given those on the pitch had never started together.
United's opening goal was testament to a combination of two excellent pieces of play. Fernandes initially played a pinpoint lofted pass towards the byline to pick out Aaron Wan-Bissaka's run and unlock Burnley's organised low block. Wan-Bissaka positioned himself well and used his flexibility to reach the ball on the stretch and play it across to Eriksen, who was in space for a tap-in.
Fernandes' continual invention was evidence that those that excelled at the World Cup may be able to carry their form over to their club, while Wan-Bissaka was a beneficiary of the tournament in Qatar as he gained a rare start after Dalot injured his hamstring when featuring for Portugal.
United's second goal shortly into the second half provided even more concrete signs that World Cup form could prove very valuable, with Rashford scoring having returned from a campaign with England that saw him score three times. His goal embodied the value of his restored confidence as he picked the ball up in his own half before driving forward, dribbling with close control while producing changes of pace to beat players.
Rashford's directness is incredibly hard to defend against, and he is showing a greater will to use this. For his goal against Burnley, this was combined with his pristine ball-striking ability as he accurately beat the opposing goalkeeper with an effort into the far corner. All the better was the fact the goal was scored from the right flank, where he did well for England, displaying versatility being added to his game as development continues.
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United stepped up a further gear in the second half against Burnley, with those that were and weren't in Qatar knitting to produce an assured performance. Their ability to grow into the game so promptly is good for the Premier League's prospects as it makes its return in the days following Christmas, even if end product was more inconsistent.
There remain questions to be answered as club football returns in its entire form within the coming week, making for an enticing prospect given the relative unpredictability that promises.
One thing is for certain: as weird as it has been making such a prompt transition from the pinnacle of international football, it is good to have club football back for probably the best period of the season for your regular supporter.
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