AFTER just eight match days, the Premier League already appears destined for a special season.

A remarkably tight tussle has emerged at both ends of the ladder as a crowded summit and relegation gridlock grip England’s top flight.

Reigning champions Manchester City retain their spot atop the ladder but they’re joined undefeated on 20 points by challengers Chelsea and Liverpool.

Meanwhile Unai Emery’s Arsenal revolution has yielded a nine-game winning streak in all competitions and the Gunners – written off by many – find themselves sitting just two points off the pace in fourth.

But crosstown rivals Spurs are breathing down their necks, level on 18 points as gridlock envelopes the upper echelon of the table.

History tells us this could be one of the most exciting races in memory… and ever.

It’s just the second time in the Premier League era that three teams have all remained undefeated after eight matches. The only other instance of such dominance came in the 2011-12 edition, when Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle United had avoided defeat into October.

For the stats buffs out there, the Magpies sat in fourth after eight rounds that season following four wins and four draws to kick-off their campaign – and ultimately finished in fifth.

That season ended with City claiming the most dramatic title triumph the league has ever seen, as Martin Tyler sent Sergio Aguero’s name around the world with his iconic call of the season’s deciding moment. Those of the Sky Blue persuasion will be hoping it’s an omen that foreshadows back-to-back glory for their team.

But the rare start to the season doesn’t just extend to the league’s elite, as the foot of the table also sees a historic opening – and Socceroo Aaron Mooy is caught right in the middle; struggling trio of Huddersfield Town, Newcastle and promoted Cardiff City are all locked in peril.

For the first time since 1973-74, three teams have failed to register a victory in their opening eight matches. On that occasion, West Ham, Birmingham and Stoke City were the endangered sides.

Fast forward back to the present and the struggling trio appear the most likely candidates for the dreaded drop.

Next in line, Southampton and big spenders Fulham have registered just one victory, and ahead of them a roadblock of four sides rest on two wins; West Ham, Crystal Palace, Brighton and Burnley have each one just a quarter of their clashes thus far.

The beauty of a tight Premier League is the existence of more crunch fixtures. Should the league maintain its close-knit feel, relegation six-pointers and crucial clashes between title aspirants would become all the more dramatic.

Interestingly, the congested middle section of the ladder also brings its fair share of storylines. The ongoing crisis at Manchester United didn’t claim Jose Mourinho’s scalp over the weekend as the Red Devils pulled off a remarkable three-goal turnaround. But having won just half of their games and sitting already seven points off the pace in eighth, the Special One has by no means yet escaped the spectre of the sack.

Overachievers Wolves and Bournemouth are proving tough to beat with both opening the campaign in European form. But with 30 matchdays remaining -- not to mention the notorious Christmas period -- they have far more to prove than not.

Just ask Watford, who have already slipped to ninth despite a perfect run through the first four matches of the campaign.

While Everton and Leicester look set for another season of mid-table obscurity with 12 points from a possible 24 thus far.

The stage is set for a cracker of a season.