For context, with their current record after 23 games, in previous seasons they would be:
19/20: 4th
18/19: 5th (only 1 point better off than they were then)
17/18: 5th (they were 2nd that season)
16/17: 6th (they were 6th at this stage that season, only 3 points worse off)
15/16: 2nd (the last truly messed up season)
14/15: 3rd (they were 3rd then too, 2 points worse off)
13/14: 5th (they were 7th under Moyes, 5 points worse off)
It's only the combo of how far other teams have dropped off this year, and how bad they were at this stage last season before the VAR cheating kicked in under Penandes that has made them look on the up.