Arbeloa's Perfect League Start: Four from Four for Madrid's New Gaffer
Real Madrid's new manager Álvaro Arbeloa has maintained a flawless record in La Liga, winning all four matches since taking the reins in January.
Madrid’s new boss is making La Liga look like a right doddle with a perfect start to his domestic campaign.
Perfect Liga Record
Álvaro Arbeloa has hit the ground running in spectacular fashion since taking over the Real Madrid hot seat. The gaffer has guided Los Blancos to four wins from four in La Liga, collecting a maximum 12 points since his debut against Levante on January 17th.
While the rest of the league has been dropping points left, right and centre - including Barcelona - Arbeloa’s Madrid have been absolutely mustard, maintaining a relentless winning streak that’s kept them breathing down Barça’s neck.
Closing the Gap
The Catalans’ stumble against Real Sociedad coincided with Madrid’s victory over Levante in Arbeloa’s first match, immediately cutting Barça’s lead to just a single point. That gap has remained unchanged through the subsequent three matchdays, with Madrid refusing to put a foot wrong.
Meanwhile, the rest of the division has struggled to keep pace:
- Atlético Madrid: dropped 5 points
- Celta Vigo: dropped 8 points
- Real Betis: dropped 3 points
- Real Sociedad and Osasuna: dropped 2 points each
Impressive Variety
What makes Arbeloa’s perfect start even more impressive is the variety of challenges he’s overcome. His four victories have been split evenly between home and away fixtures:
- Home wins: Levante and Rayo Vallecano at the Bernabéu
- Away wins: Villarreal and most recently Valencia at the always-tricky Mestalla
The Valencia victory was particularly significant as it came with the added pressure of Barcelona having already won their match, meaning Madrid had to respond or fall further behind.
Historic Company
Arbeloa’s achievement puts him in rare company - he’s just the sixth manager in Real Madrid’s illustrious history to win his first four league matches in charge. He joins an exclusive club featuring Xabi Alonso, Manuel Pellegrini, Vanderlei Luxemburgo, Eduardo Fernández and Juan Quirante.
For a new manager who’s still wet behind the ears in the coaching game, it’s a proper Adam and Eve to think he’s started this well. The big question now is whether he can maintain this form and close that one-point gap to Barcelona as the business end of the season approaches.