Arsenal proceed to look almost impenetrable and goalkeeper David Raya has credited a summer arrival within the coaching staff for his influence.
The Gunners suffered a few early setbacks this season, losing narrowly at Liverpool and drawing with Manchester City, but have been superb since then.
4 wins on the bounce within the Premier League see Mikel Arteta’s side sit top of the division and because of slip-ups from the Reds and City, Arsenal are already six points clear.
18 goals scored in 10 games is a really decent return, but it surely has been their defence that has truly stood out as exceptional.
Arteta’s men have conceded just three goals of their 10 Premier League outings up to now, keeping 4 clean sheets on the spin in the highest flight.
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In all competitions, the Gunners haven’t conceded a goal in any of their last seven matches, with the last player to breach their defence being Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade on September 28.
Raya has been a giant a part of this success but he has offered the credit to a person who won the Premier League with Manchester United.
Former Red Devils defender Gabriel Heinze was brought into Arteta’s coaching staff over the summer and Raya feels the attitude of the Argentinian has been a welcome addition.
‘He’s a man, he’s a coach, where he wants us to fight – plenty of intensity,’ Raya said after Arsenal beat Burnley on Saturday. ‘To win games, you could have to defend thoroughly, especially on this league. That is the hardest league on the planet.
‘You’ve to be very, very, very solid to give you the option to win games. Normally, the games are won by one goal. So, it’s really, really vital to maintain that asset from us, from everyone. Not only the back line, just each player. So, it’s plenty of credit to him as well.’
Arteta also praised the relentless pursuit of success of Heinze, saying last month: ‘I feel that’s something very, very collective with all of the coaches, with the players, with their commitments as well and Gabi added something different, that willingness to win, I feel.
‘We’ve seen that obviously through his profession, that have to win and to raise any person’s level and ambition and drive to the very best limit and he’s extraordinary at that.’
Arteta has also said that his players ‘love’ Heinze and his presence on the training ground.
The 47-year-old had stints accountable for Godoy Cruz, Argentinos Juniors, Velez Sarsfield and most recently Newell’s Old Boys in his home country of Argentina.
He also had a temporary spell as manager of Atlanta United in MLS. His most up-to-date spell in a top job was with Newell’s, which resulted in November 2023.
His move to Arsenal to work with Arteta has roots within the Spaniard’s loan move to PSG from Barcelona within the 2001-02 season, when Heinze was playing for the French side.
Speaking last 12 months, Arteta spoke of teammates on the time who influenced him, saying: ‘The opposite inspirations were [Mauricio] Pochettino and Heinze, those two were next to me on a regular basis, behind me, and so they were guiding me in every thing I needed to do in my skilled life, how I had to know the sport and so they were inspirational to me.’
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