Alaves match their best-ever LaLiga start and sleep top of the table

Deportivo Alaves have put together a dream start to the season. With seven points from a possible nine following their win over Villarreal at Mendizorroza, the Babazorro side sleep top of LaLiga on Saturday and, along the way, match the best opening in their history in the Spanish top flight, a mark they had only achieved in the 2001-2002 campaign under Mane.

• Alaves have seven points from nine and will sleep top of LaLiga.
• The win over Villarreal gives them a second home clean sheet of the season.
• They match the club's best-ever top-flight start, set in 2001-2002.
• Quique Sanchez Flores is delivering on his promise to make the team suffer less.
• The club faces the final days of the transfer window with the squad in excellent form.

Quique Sanchez Flores keeps his promise as Alaves stop suffering

At the end of last season, Quique Sanchez Flores was clear about the goal for this campaign: the team had to suffer much less. The start of the league season is proving him right. Alaves have looked intense, direct, consistent and solid, a version that fits exactly what you would expect from a side managed by the Madrid-born coach.

The biggest change has come at the back. Last season the Vitoria-based club kept just two clean sheets in the entire second half of the campaign. Now, after only three matchdays, they have already shut out their opponents in both home wins. Sivera, Tenaglia and Antonio Blanco have stepped up when needed to hold the team together and avoid late scares.

A historic mark only matched by Mane's Alaves

Seven points after only three games is a figure Deportivo Alaves had managed just once in their 20 top-flight seasons. That came in 2001-2002 with Mane in the dugout, a campaign that ended in a brilliant seventh-place finish and a ticket to the UEFA Cup. Now Quique's team have matched that opening and brought the feel-good factor back to Vitoria.

There is still a long way to go and the calendar has barely started, but those seven points are already in the bag and nobody can take them away. That allows the players and coaching staff to look ahead with real optimism and with the peace of mind that comes from doing the job from the very first matchday.

The transfer window, the only threat to Quique's project

The team's strong form comes right at the end of the transfer window, a situation that tends to create anxiety at mid-sized clubs. Quique has been repeating for weeks that he would sign up for keeping the squad exactly as it is when the market closes, and the final days of August will feel long in Vitoria with the risk of another club trying to lure away a key player.

The performances of Angel Perez, Antonio Blanco, Boye, Tenaglia and Sivera have been outstanding. Without them this historic start would be hard to explain, and the coaching staff are hoping to keep them on board as the project continues to develop. Alaves have also brought Mariano back into the fold, adding more quality and depth to the attacking options.

The Villarreal win and a little bit of luck

The match against Villarreal not only confirmed the side's defensive strength, but also showed this Alaves team can compete against quality opponents. The Babazorros managed the game well at Mendizorroza and took their chances to claim an impressive victory. The woodwork also played in the home side's favour, a detail that matters in football.

The win reinforces the idea that Mendizorroza is becoming a fortress again. Two home games, two wins and two clean sheets. That is the path Quique wants to follow to leave behind the stress he lived through during his early months in Vitoria. Now everyone is pulling in the same direction and the mood in the dressing room is completely different.

Osasuna up next as Alaves aim to stay near the top

Alaves will enjoy a calm weekend before getting back to work. Next Sunday, Mendizorroza opens its doors again to welcome Osasuna in a direct meeting between two sides aiming to settle comfortably in the table. It will be the perfect chance to extend the run and prove this start is no fluke.

The team do not want to take a single step back. The squad have earned the right to celebrate their work, but the ambition is huge and the dressing room is already focused on keeping the points coming. Quique has turned anxiety into confidence, and Alaves want Vitoria to keep dreaming of a calm season with exciting goals.