Luis García Plaza's new Sevilla records best start in nine years

Sevilla have a completely new face. The win at Riazor against Deportivo de La Coruña confirmed the transformation of a side that has collected 13 points from a possible 18 and sits among the frontrunners in LaLiga. With four wins, one draw and only one defeat, it is their best start since the 2017-18 season, when the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán was still used to hearing the Champions League anthem.

There is nothing accidental about this metamorphosis. The new project at the Andalusian club is built on a series of strategic decisions that have restored a recognizable identity and given the team plenty of reasons to compete in the present while rebuilding for the future.

• 13 points from the opening six matches, the best tally since 2017-18
• LaLiga leaders in total duels won, aerial duels won and balls recovered
• Nine goals shared among eight different scorers
• An almost complete squad overhaul with an average age five years younger
• Luis García Plaza keeps the entire squad involved, even rotating pre-match speeches

An uncomfortable Sevilla side rediscovers its collective identity

One of the biggest reasons behind the team's growth is that it has recovered its trademark style. The players have internalized Luis García Plaza's automatisms and have become an intelligent block in high pressing, extremely vertical after winning the ball back. Sevilla lead the league in total duels won with 342, twenty more than the second-best side, as well as in aerial duels won with 97 and balls recovered with 306.

The approach is not about aesthetics. They are among the teams that make the fewest passes, but rank second in long balls played, only behind Osasuna. The gameplan is clear: minimize risks in their own half, shorten build-up time and suffocate the opponent's attempts to play out from the back, all supported by a group that ranks among the best in the competition for distance covered.

Sevilla have become one of the most uncomfortable opponents in Spain's top flight thanks to an unglamorous yet extraordinarily effective plan.

Sporting department raises the squad's competitive floor

The team's leap in quality is built on the planning of the sporting department led by José Ignacio Navarro. The decision to target players capable of making an immediate impact and with deep knowledge of Spanish football, such as Juan Iglesias, Jon Guridi and Giorgi Kochorashvili, has raised the squad's competitive level and provided the depth needed to sustain a full season at such a demanding pace.

The arrivals of Youssouf Fofana, Félix Correia and Lucas Stassin have taken the team to another level. The Frenchman brings European experience and contagious physical power, the Portuguese winger is extremely disciplined and never gives up on a ball, and the Belgian forward has enough resources to create dangerous situations without needing too many touches.

The club has also laid the foundations for tomorrow. Fran González, Julio Díaz, Arouna Sangante and Robbie Ure represent an absolute overhaul of the squad that has not only lowered the average age by almost five years, but also given the coach a far wider variety of player profiles.

Stable core and a defense that keeps clean sheets again

Part of the success lies in a stable core that provides consistency. Four players have featured in every single minute so far: Odysseas Vlachodimos, Juan Iglesias, Gabriel Suazo and Lucien Agoumé. The goalkeeper is not required to be as decisive as last season, the full-backs almost never lose focus at the back, and the midfielder has taken a step forward in performance, organization and leadership, establishing himself as one of the best ball winners in LaLiga.

That is complemented by the unusual maturity of the central defensive pairing of Andrés Castrín and Kike Salas. They complement each other perfectly and have been the main architects of two consecutive clean sheets, something Sevilla had not achieved for more than two years. Their performances prove that the strong end to the previous campaign was no flash in the pan.

Miguel Sierra, the new academy breakthrough exciting the fans

The project blends the reliability of experienced players, most of them still under thirty, with the hunger of academy youngsters, who were given opportunities by García Plaza in pre-season. If last year's breakout star was Oso, this season it is Miguel Sierra. The Granada-born winger, already on two goals, has become the attacking reference in this opening stretch.

Sierra embodies better than anyone both the bravery on the ball and the defensive commitment demanded by the coaching staff, a balance that sums up the current spirit in the dressing room.

García Plaza's leadership and the return of Sevilla pride

The coach's leadership has been impeccable. He adapts to the context of each match with decisive interventions and keeps the entire squad fully engaged. Proof of the strong sense of collectivity in the dressing room is the rotation of pre-match talks, with players such as Suazo, Agoumé and Castrín already addressing their teammates.

After several seasons of uncertainty and immense suffering, Sevilla fans are enjoying their team again and are excited about a group they feel represented by. The competitive gene and the sense of pride have returned to the club.