5. Steve Bould
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY_8dLn6GQQ Arsenal has now conceded just 2 goals in 5 games. Had it not been for Wojciech Szczesny's mishandling of a cross against Southampton, Arsenal would have made a defensive record to the start of the season. There is no denying that Steve Bould, who succeeded Pat Rice as assistant manager, is having a profound effect on the way the players contribute to the team's defensive efforts. Even the offensive triad of Podolski, Giroud, and Gervinho have been tracking back when they lose the ball in the middle of the pitch, and the likes of Arteta and Diaby have been wonderfully effective in protecting the back four. Our back line of Jenkinson, Mertesacker, Vermaelen, and Gibbs has shown a certain tenacity that Arsenal's defense has been so lacking in recent seasons, and has made superb use of the offside trap so far. The team as a whole has been working as a defensive machine, and while it is too early to shower the team with undue adulation, Steve Bould's work on the way Arsenal defends means that Manchester City is going to have a difficult time trying to find the back of the net.