Solidity and dynamism: Marcelino stamping his mark on Valencia

Valencia CF have made a sensational start to the 2017/18 LaLiga Santander season. One stat says it all: they are one of just three clubs who remain unbeaten in the division at this point, alongside FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

Los Che are setting up in a 4-4-2 formation. When defending, they are showing great positional discipline and keeping it compact, with two tight banks of four and the attackers also dropping back to help out. When going forward, either or both of the wide midfielders have a licence to roam in order to generate overloads infield and openings up the flanks for players to run into from deep. This approach is in line with Marcelino's game plan while at Villarreal CF and bears similarities to the way that Diego Simeone's Atletico occupy space.

This Valencia side have already proven themselves to be a pragmatic outfit who don't need to boss the ball to land blows. Despite having averaged just 46% possession so far this LaLiga Santander season and lying 12th for the most completed passes, they are the league's fourth-highest scorers and sit seventh for shots taken. This demonstrates how aggressive they are in possession and their penchant for short, quick attacking moves.

 Valencia have amassed 12 points in six matchdays; it took them until Matchday 14, shortly before the winter break, to reach that tally last term

Several new faces, such as Neto, Gabriel, Jeison Murillo, Gonçalo Guedes and Andreas Pereira, have hit the ground running in their new surroundings. The fierce competition for places has forced everyone to up their game, including home-grown players such as Jaume, Toni Lato, Jose Luis Gaya and Nacho Vidal, whose presence serves to boost the fans' connection with the squad.

In terms of individuals who have been particularly pivotal in Valencia's fine performances, the following three areas stand out:

• Dani Parejo and Geoffrey Kondogbia, dynamos in the engine room: The Spaniard and Frenchman have formed one of LaLiga's top central-midfield partnerships. They dovetail perfectly, with Parejo able to dictate the tempo of games and pull the strings behind the attack, while Kondogbia possesses a great ability to cover ground, regularly snapping into 50-50s, winning aerial duels and bursting into the opposition box to get shots away.

Parejo deserves special plaudits; the former Real Madrid and Getafe CF man currently ranks eighth in LaLiga Santander for completed passes (54.1 per match) and second for recoveries (he is winning the ball back an average of 8.8 times per game). This combo speaks volumes of his quality and versatility.

• Carlos Soler providing X factor: The academy graduate, who showed glimpses of his potential last year, has arguably been Valencia's most influential attacking player thus far. While he carries out his defensive duties diligently, tracking back to help out his full-back and generally remaining out wide when he does so, he is much more difficult to pin down when his team have the ball. At times he hugs the touchline, while at others, he drifts infield, allowing Los Che to outnumber the opposition in the middle or creating space for the right-back to overlap in.

He also uses the ball well: he almost always picks out a teammate and has an eye for killer passes, as illustrated by the fact that no one in LaLiga Santander has managed more assists than the four he has chalked up.

• Simone Zaza, an outlet and the main man in front of goal: Besides being in prolific form, the Italian offers Valencia a reliable and effective out ball, thanks to his ability to win flick-ons – thereby kick-starting attacks – or hold up play when required. What's more, he leads from the front with his intensity and tireless work ethic, setting the tone for his teammates.

There are still 32 matchdays to go and 96 points to play for, so no one should get carried away just yet, but Valencia and their fans look to have plenty of cause for optimism.