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Piero Hincapie | Getty Images
Chelsea and Arsenal are both back in Premier League action this weekend following the international break
Chelsea face an away trip to Brentford as they look to keep their momentum going. The Blues have seven points on the board from their first three fixtures of the new Premier League season. They won 2-0 at home to Fulham last time out after goals by Joao Pedro and Enzo Fernandez.
As for Arsenal, they take on Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday. Mikel Arteta’s side won their first two games against Manchester United and Leeds United. However, they lost 1-0 to Liverpool at Anfield last time out so will be eager to bounce back.
Chelsea and Arsenal pair shine on international duty
Chelsea defensive midfielder Moises Caicedo and Arsenal centre-back Piero Hincapie have both shone for Ecuador on international duty. Their country have been extremely solid defensively over recent times. They have booked their place at the World Cup for 2026.
Sebastián Beccacece’s side have conceded just five goals in their 18 qualifying matches. They have kept an impressive 12 clean sheets along the way as well. They have the best defensive record on their contintent and have become the hardest team to score against.
They won 1-0 against Argentina last time out and kept their fifth clean sheet in a row. Former West Ham striker Enner Valencia scored their winner in the first half. Caicedo was sent off in the game too, whilst Nicolas Otamendi also saw red for their opponents. You have to go back to March for the last time Ecuador conceded a goal.
Their stubbornness at the back is very similar to Chelsea’s back in the 2004/05 campaign. They were managed by Jose Mourinho back then and let in only 15 goals all year. In addition, they kept a whopping 25 clean sheets. It is a defensive record that will likely never be matched in the Premier League but Ecuador have shown the same defensive resolve.
New Arsenal challenge for Piero Hincapie
Arsenal signed Hincapie on loan with a view to buy on deadline day. He was given the green light to leave Bayer Leverkusen for a new challenge in England. The defender will be eager to show what he can do with the Gunners.
He moved to Germany back in 2021 and won the Bundesliga title in 2024 under Xabi Alonso. The ex-Talleres man played 166 games for Leverkusen. He managed to chip in with seven goals from the back.
Arteta is pleased to have landed him and has said: "We are so pleased to welcome Piero Hincapie to the club.“Piero has a real physical presence, with his versatility and tactical flexibility giving us strong added defensive options. He is a big character, with a very good combination of both youth and maturity. He will make our squad stronger and more competitive as we continue into this season.“We welcome Piero and his family to Arsenal.”
Meanwhile, Sporting Director Andrea Berta said: "We are delighted to have completed the loan signing for the season of Piero Hincapie. At only 23, Piero already has significant experience, both in the Bundesliga and at international level. He is an intelligent defender with real strength and versatility. His performances in recent years for both club and country have been of a consistent high quality, and we are confident Piero will continue to grow this season and be an important player for us.”
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