Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen and Dutch side PSV surprised fans across Europe with an unbeaten start to the season, but they still fell short of the Surrey club's relentless record.
Unless you follow the Combined Counties Premier Division South, you probably won't know about Farnham Town's perfect start to the season.
But a home win against 15th-placed Cobham on Saturday would take them to a maximum of 66 points from their opening 22 games, surpassing AFC Wimbledon's record of 21 consecutive wins in the same league 20 years ago.
The ninth-tier club moved to the top of the league with 84 goals scored and just 12 conceded.
“On paper, we go into each game expecting to win,” said leading scorer Darryl Sanders, who has 19 goals and 18 assists in 27 games.
“But you look back and think, 'What we're doing is pretty special.'
“It's kind of crept up on us a little bit, it's only been in the last month or two that we've really realized how well we're doing, and it's given us more to keep it going. I think it gave me motivation.
“In the past few weeks, we found out that the record was 21 times. [wins] And maybe this Saturday will be a record-breaking game.
“This was a bit of a surprise because we had no idea how close it was.
“Johnno [manager Paul Johnson] They try to keep us focused week after week, game after game, and it's hard to take your eyes off of it when you know a record game is coming up.''
At the heart of the buzz surrounding Farnham is the idea that a win could give the club the distinction of having the longest winning streak since the start of the English league.
It's complicated to say definitively, as there are and have been so many leagues in this country's soccer history.
But football historian Phil Anetz, author of the FA Cup and FA Vase Factfiles and author of FA Cup 150, believes it will probably happen.
His database, which holds records for around 36,000 clubs, most dating back to the founding of the league, shows Amersham Town won all but one of their Hellenic League games in 1962-63. However, it is not clear at what point their lone defeat occurred.
Honorable mention should go to Jersey Bulls, who won their first 27 games in the Combined Counties Division One of the 2019-20 season before it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
And of course, we can't forget that Arsenal's 'Invincibles' team played 49 games in the Premier League and were unbeaten throughout the 2003-04 season.
“Everyone wants to beat you more.”
Farnham's success this season is part of the driving force that has propelled the club into the top half of the league following significant investment over the past 18 months.
Saunders, 27, joined the club from Bracknell in the summer and was one of the few players to step down from a high level.
Expectations were high as Harry Cooksley, Jack Dean, Adam Liddle, Dean Rule, Charlie Postance and club captain Ryan Kinnan were also scouted ahead of the season.
Coach Johnson had previously worked with “Star Boy” Saunders at Bedford and said his goals and creativity were central to Farnham's success.
However, his focus is firmly on winning promotion rather than breaking records.
“Everyone wants to beat you now,” he said.
“The team has been working hard to achieve results as their profile has increased over the last few weeks.
“The goal is to win the league, and whatever the record is that goes with it, that’s great.”
Farnham were 3-0 winners in their last meeting with Cobham and captain Kinnan, 29, is confident they can achieve another win and set a new record in the process.
“The reliability is obviously very high,” Kinnan said. “We've adapted to everything we've faced this season and I think Saturday will be no exception.
“It's unique,” he said of the final hit. “I try not to think about it too much in the moment, but if I get through it, I'll look back and be incredibly proud.”
Farnham entered the season as one of the promotion candidates, given the club's significant investment in players and infrastructure.
If they achieve promotion, they will move up to the South Central Division of the Isthmian League.
Farnham's players are already aiming for further promotion to the Southern League Premier South, one place below the National League South, next term.
But can they continue to win every league game this season?
“It's a fantastic achievement,” Mr Johnson told BBC Radio Surrey.
“At the beginning of the season everyone was trying to catch us, we were a huge scalp, but in October that died down and a lot of teams were already defeated before they played us.
“And now, thanks to the publicity we've gotten in recent weeks, the tempo of the team is picking up again.”
One more win on Saturday will not only put them on track to achieve that goal, but also make football history with the Surrey club.
