Sichuan Jiuniu had a great record on the road, winning 2 and drawing 1 in the first three rounds. However, after returning home, they suffered their first loss of the season in the fourth round with a 2-3 defeat against promotion rival Dandong Tengyue. Nevertheless, they still ranked fourth in the league with seven points.
Promoted Dongguan Guanlian have significantly increased their fighting power after introducing powerful internal and external reinforcements such as Feng Xiaoting, Ruan Jun and Onuabu. After four rounds of matches, they are also in the fifth place of the league with seven points.
Liaoning Shenyang City, Nanjing City and Dandong Tengyue tied for sixth to eighth with six points. Liaoning Shenyang City, coached by Duan Xin, improved significantly in the new season. Nanjing City, while retaining strong scorers such as Mei Xi, has introduced strong players such as Fu Huan, Duan Yunzi and Yang He, but has not shown any momentum beyond the recent three consecutive draws.
Dandong Tengyue is located at home in Huludao and has unlimited potential. In the first four rounds, they performed well, especially beating Sichuan Jiuniu 3-2 on the road.
Jinan Xingzhou, China's B Grade champions in the 2022 season, have brought in strong players such as Dai Lin, Yi Xianlong and Su Zu, but their strength has yet to be fully unleashed. Currently ranked ninth with one win, two draws, one loss and five points, it seems they need more time to gel.
Shijiazhuang Kung Fu is highly anticipated for the new season as they finished fourth in last season's Central League. They brought in strong players such as Zhao Mingjian, but with poor performance in the first four rounds and two consecutive losses at home, they may not be ready to overtake.
Yanbian Longding and Shanghai Jiading Huilong ranked eleventh and twelfth with 3 points. Wuxi Wuhu, Guangzhou and Heilongjiang Bingcheng are ranked thirteenth to fifteenth with two points. Guangzhou, as a former giants just relegated from the Chinese Super League, has slipped to the bottom of the Central League after four rounds and is under huge relegation pressure.
Jiangxi Lushan is surprisingly at the bottom of the table with 1 draw, 3 losses and 1 point. This shows their lack of bench depth in the new season and they are facing a tough challenge.
Guangzhou and Jiangxi Lushan are among the 16 Central League teams with the longest professional qualifications at present. Hopefully they will have a better performance in the upcoming matches.
