"?Newcastle United and Aston Villa have had opposite starts to a season they were both supposed to dominate.
The Magpies and the Villains hired Champions League winning managers in an attempt to get them straight back up to the Premier League - and had managed to retain a good number of players who played for them in the top flight.
In theory, the Birmingham club's squad should be good enough to bounce straight back up, while the signings they had should have bedded in and performed better than they have. But the theory isn't working.
Villa are 18th in the table with only one win from their opening eight fixtures. Although they have lost just twice, it does indicate a side that is suffering from crippling mediocrity on all fronts.
For example, they've scored eight times but conceded that same amount to give them a goal difference of zero. The midlands side have also drawn five games, which is the most in the whole league.
They are also struggling to fill Villa Park as the fans still seem to be disenchanted with the owners, a sad sight at any ground but especially distressing with a club that has been poorly run for a long time.
However, Villa's squad is still equipped with good players and should not be discounted going into the game on Saturday. With Jonathan Kodjia, Rudy Gestede and Ross McCormack they have three attackers in their prime who almost seem purpose built for the league.
Kodjia hit the back of the net 19 times for Bristol City before his big money move to the midlands, while Gestede scored 20 goals for Blackburn Rovers during the 2014/15 campaign and McCormack is a second tier goal machine.
The whole squad could click at any moment and start firing on all cylinders - and Benitez will know that. The league defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday shows that no opposition can be taken lightly, and one off day will be punished with a loss.
Despite their poor start, Villa should be a tougher opposition than Wolves - and Newcastle will have to be at their best again to come away with three points.