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Across Europe, this season has been a bit mental. Serie A is the only one of the top leagues that still has a competitive title race with Napoli and Juventus duking it out for the Scudetto, and 8 teams fighting for European football.
The Bundesliga started unpredictably, with the usual suspects, Bayern Munich starting slowly leading to the sacking of Ancelotti.
Few would have seen the title race unfolding the way it has in Spain after Real Madrid's spanking of Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup. Few people could have guessed that Manchester City would be cruising to the Premier League title the way they have this season.
A lot of the teams doing well have been propelled by the tactical nous of their managers.
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Here is a look at five of the most impressive managers (so far) this season:
#5 Maurizio Sarri (SSC Napoli)
It's easy to overlook the monumental season Napoli has had so far this season and the work that Sarri has done for this team from the South of Italy.
Not since the days of Diego Maradona has there been such belief in the team. Ask their fans if they could have predicted this and even the die-hard ones wouldn't be able to say with absolute certainty that with little over a month of football still left to play, Napoli would be just 2 points behind Juventus and 14 points above AS Roma.
The Neapolitans have the 5th highest budget in Italy and a squad that has nowhere close to the depth that Juventus and Roma possess. However, they have a man at the helm who Pep Guardiola rates as the best manager in Europe.
It's easy to see why; Sarri has taken a group of players that are not the most outstanding individuals and made them into a team that believes in themselves. He has improved Dries Mertens, allowed Lorenzo Insigne to flourish and given the keys to the defence to Kalidou Koulibaly, who hasn't disappointed.
For him to revolutionize a club with a minimal budget, a small playing squad and that has had more than its fair share of serious injuries to key players, it would be scary to think what he could do at a bigger club.
#4 Max Allegri (Juventus)
One of Sir Alex Ferguson's characteristics that made him one of the greatest club managers in the world was this ability to bring the best out of a rolling squad i.e. a squad that changes constantly.
The same thing could be said about Allegri has he has been absolutely brilliant at tinkering with his squad to get the best out of them.
Having lost 2 Champions League finals in 3 years, it would have been easy for him to walk away with his head held high but he chose to stay and this season could just be 3rd time lucky for his side.
Juventus are probably at the strongest level that they have ever been in the last few years. The depth of the squad has allowed them to push Napoli for the Scudetto - a side they have been trailing all season - as well as being through to the Champions League quarterfinals.
They have the perfect balance between experience and youth, raw talent and well-drilled aggression.
While Allegri and Juventus can often be criticized for their style of play, the ruthlessness that he has instilled in his team cannot be overlooked.
#3 Jupp Heynckes (Bayern Munich)
The fact that Bayern Munich is 17 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and are in the Champions League quarter-finals yet again shouldn't be the reason to forget the start they had this season.
Yes, they are the most powerful club in Germany, and yes, they do have a squad packed with talent, but prior to Jupp Heynckes taking over as manager this season, the very same Bayern Munich team were 9 points behind now 3rd place Borussia Dortmund and were 2nd behind eliminated PSG in the Champions League. They had just been smashed 3-0 in Paris and were in crisis.
He came in with the team splintered and steadied the ship with such ease that it was almost 'expected.' This expectation is why more words aren't been spoken about Bayern and their manager this season. They are European elite, and yet they looked down and out a few months ago.
Heynckes is a manager from the older era that has stuck around and adapted. Colleagues from his generation have come and gone, but Heynckes has continued his work.
Yes, they may not have many challenges for the Bundesliga shield, but with that title wrapped up, they can focus on the Champions League. Having been handed the easiest draw of the round, Bayern will be expected in the semi-finals, after which nobody knows what can happen.
This confident, rejuvenated, devastating Bayern will be the team everyone will want to avoid.
#2 Ernesto Valverde (FC Barcelona)
If the Spanish Super Cup was going to be an indicator of how this season unfolded, Barcelona and Ernesto Valverde would have had their work cut out for them.
An underwhelming transfer window saw them lose Neymar and a revamp was needed. Any team that loses the goalscoring threat of a player of the Brazilian's quality would struggle, and while Barcelona hasn't been at their free-flowing best like they were under Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique, they have been steely and energetic.
The biggest impact Valverde has had on this side this season is the energy he has brought to his players. Every single player works their socks off for the team. With the team moving to a 4-4-2, Messi has retained his free role, cutting in from the right, dropping deep or playing up top.
Valverde has given Jordi Alba a new lease of life down the left, and his link-up plays with Messi has been extremely fruitful.
Aside from the world's greatest player being completely rejuvenated this season, Valverde has strengthened the defence. As a result, Barca has conceded just 13 goals all season long.
Now with the season reaching the business end, Valverde has Ousmane Dembele and Phillipe Coutinho to rely on for further depth, managing their transition into the team extremely pragmatically.
Were it not for Man City's stellar season, Valverde would be at the top of this list.
#1 Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
What Pep has done this season with Manchester City is truly unbelievable. With the Premier League being the most watched around the world, the hype surrounding this team is real, and many have considered them to be the best ever seen in the Premier League era.
The fight for the top two places this season could have gone either way, but it is his use of youth and pace has seen developing into one of the best sides to watch in all of Europe this season.
His team has scored the 2nd most number of goals in Europe this season, second only to PSG.
The biggest change in the team this season compared to the 2016-2017 version has been the increase in team chemistry. Every single player has been given a role and has stuck to it to the very end as they have all bought into his system.
Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva have been running the show all season from deep in midfield, and it is their ability on the ball that creates space for the speedy Leroy Sane, Raheem Sterling.
Manchester City has only the Champions League to focus on for the rest of the season and are seen as one of the favourites for the competition. Should they get through their tricky fixture against Liverpool, they will be the team everyone would want to avoid.
Guardiola's ruthless execution of his vision is the reason for City's success.
