Arsenal continued their strong start to the Premier League season with a 2-0 win over Burnley on Saturday, with the Gunners currently holding a six-point lead over their nearest challengers.
Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya has shed light on how Gabriel Heinze has helped the Gunners push towards the top of the Premier League this season. Former Manchester United defender Heinze joined the club’s coaching staff in the summer and made an immediate impact.
After 10 games of the new season, Arsenal are six points clear of their nearest challengers, Manchester City, with 25 points adrift of 30 points. With just three goals conceded and defensive performance a big factor, Raya outlined the role 47-year-old former Argentina star Heinze has played since joining.
“He’s a man, he’s a coach and he wants us to fight hard,” Raya told reporters after Saturday’s win over Brentford. “To win games, you have to defend very well, especially in this league. This is the toughest league in the world.
“You have to be very, very, very solid to win the game. Usually the game is won by one point.
“So it’s really, really important to protect that asset from us and everyone. Not just the last line, just all the players. So it’s a credit to him as well.”
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Arsenal conceded three goals in their first six games, losing to Liverpool, drawing with Manchester City and coming from behind to beat Newcastle. Since then, they have won four games on the spin without conceding a goal.
They are also yet to concede in the Champions League and Carabao Cup, where they travel to Slavia Prague on Tuesday. Saturday’s league win against Burnley was brought about by goals from Victor Goqueres and Declan Rice before half-time, and manager Mikel Arteta spoke after the game about the strength of the defense.
“It’s a really difficult place to come to,” Arteta said after the victory at Turf Moor. “They’ve only lost once in the last 18 months (against Liverpool) on the last penalty of the game.
“I think we started the game very well. I think the first half was one of the best we’ve played. We scored two goals, created a couple more big chances and didn’t concede.”
“That was a stepping stone in the second half because we lowered our standards, especially on the ball and with the intention of taking more risks and playing forward. But again, defensively, we were exceptional up until the moment of the (Marcus Edwards) free-kick. We were a bit lucky that it hit the post and we kept a clean sheet.”
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