Already Chelsea appear to be returning to their form of 2005-7 when, led by Didier Drogba and John Terry, they won back-to-back titles.

The PrintWeek Ricoh fantasy football league's current Chelsea-alike is Anthony Omahony's Antonios Desperados of MPG Books. Like Jose Mourinho in 2005, he has also chosen Drogba and Terry to lead him to glory – although three Arsenal stars and a brace of Tottenham Hotspur midfielders are also helping him along nicely.

As this month's winner, Omahony receives two tickets to a Coventry City match, as well as the chance to nominate two people to play at the Ricoh Arena against a printweek.com/Ricoh XI side, plus one month's banner advertising on printweek.com for his company.

Also akin to Chelsea, Omahony is trailed by a United side, Splooooooge United – Paul Stainthorpe of NB Group's team. Stainthorpe, who also features a Chelsea-heavy team, led by his captain Frank Lampard, is in good company, as last month colleague Graham Fullarton was leading the way.

Dronz Arigho, of Colourgraphic Arts, and his Reego Rovers is in at number three.

Elsewhere in the world of football, October saw the potential opening up of the so-called big four as Liverpool embarked on a run of just one win in seven games in all competitions, although that win did come against arch-rivals Manchester United.

Aston Villa, Manchester City and Spurs look best placed to take advantage, but with Villa losing to a West Ham team that couldn't buy a win, Spurs dropping three points at home to a Stoke City side playing less attractive football than your average Sunday league side and City embarking on a run of what must now be 500 consecutive draws, Liverpool's position is not yet perilous.

At the bottom of the league, Hull's Phil Brown didn't get fired and was assured by his board that he would not get the sack, while he insisted that he expected to be at the club next season. So perhaps we can start next month's update a month early – November saw Hull's Phil Brown sacked as manager...