This was never part of the blueprint. 

When Stade Lausanne-Ouchy surged into the Super League and promptly defied expectation by winning it, they did so from a position of relative comfort: a settled squad, financial backing, and years of quiet preparation. Chur’s ascent could not have been more different. They arrived from Graubünden as outsiders in every sense – modest resources, a narrow home pitch, and a collective built on structure rather than stardom. And yet, within weeks of their top-flight debut, they had done something far more unsettling than merely survive: they had refused to be beaten.

No one inside or outside the club truly expects this run to last forever. But that almost feels beside the point. What Chur have offered so far is intoxicating – tactical bravery without recklessness, discipline without fear, and a stubborn resistance to hierarchy. The Super League has not so much welcomed them as been forced to accommodate them.

Their opening night away in Sion was supposed to be a reality check, a wide, unforgiving pitch exposing a newly promoted side still adjusting to the speed of the top flight. Instead, it became a lesson in control. Chur defended with precision and struck with vertical clarity, twice slicing through Sion before the interval. Brian Farinas’ early incision released Xabier Iriondo, Zidan Tairi followed with a similarly devastating run, and by half-time Chur were two goals clear and utterly composed. After the break, Iker Huerte combined intelligently with Rubén Dantas Fernandes down the left to put the result beyond doubt. A late concession denied them a clean sheet, but the message had already landed: Chur belonged.

The first home match against Grasshoppers was far less serene, but no less revealing. An early VAR decision went against the hosts, José Henrique’s strike ruled onside to give Grasshoppers the lead and test Chur’s emotional control. What followed was chaotic, almost absurd. Two own goals – both forced by Iriondo’s relentless dribbling and whipped deliveries – swung momentum, before Huerte broke through, struck the post, and gratefully converted the rebound from close range. It was a performance stitched together by fortune and resilience in equal measure. Grasshoppers looked dangerous throughout, andRenato was forced into a series of outstanding saves, but Chur showed they could absorb pressure as well as apply it.

The trip to Basel, however, was the true measure of their credentials. Two perfect records met at St. Jakob-Park, and what unfolded was a breathless contest that tested Chur’s tactical elasticity to its limits. They struck first through Jano Monserrate, finishing calmly after another Iriondo slalom, only to be pegged back almost immediately by a sweeping Basel move that exposed the financial gulf between the sides as much as the tactical one. Monserrate restored the lead with a stunning 25-yard strike, before Basel again punished a turnover to level before the break. The second half followed the same pattern: Huerte capitalising on a defensive mishap, Basel responding through Giacomo Koloto. Under relentless pressure, Arriola adjusted on the fly – shifting the build-up structure, retreating into a low block, and forming a stubborn 6-2-2 without the ball. Basel fired 28 shots and accumulated nearly 3.0 expected goals; Chur scored three times from just over 1.0 xG. It was a point earned through suffering, not dominance, and one that felt symbolic of their early season identity.

Back at Obere Au against Stade Lausanne-Ouchy, the tone shifted again. This was a grittier, more pragmatic Chur, less concerned with imposing themselves and more focused on protecting what they had. Iriondo once more proved decisive, threading a perfectly weighted pass for Huerte to convert, but as the match wore on, Chur retreated deeper and deeper. With five minutes remaining, a sloppy concession allowed Mikel Sartoretti to equalise, a reminder that control without possession carries its own risks. It felt like two points dropped – and perhaps a lesson learned.

If there were fears that the unbeaten run would finally unravel in Zürich, they were swiftly dispelled. In a hostile environment, and without the injured Monserrate, Chur adapted superbly. Jonathan Carames, deputising in the attacking line, delivered a performance of remarkable maturity, scoring once and assisting twice. Against Zürich’s aggressive wide players, Chur’s own wingers again dropped back to form a line of six, creating a deep defensive shell that funnelled play into areas they could control. The reward came in transition, where space appeared and was exploited ruthlessly. A late penalty offered the hosts consolation, but the outcome had long been decided.

Against Rapperswil, bottom of the table and goalless, Chur demonstrated the other side of their evolution: domination without indulgence. They controlled territory and tempo, restricted width, and flooded the central zones of their narrow pitch, building an impenetrable wall around their defensive third. The visitors mustered just 0.15 expected goals, while strikes from Marvin Hodler and Zidan Tairi – the latter assisted by Carames, continuing his rich vein of form – secured a comfortable victory that barely required Chur to leave second gear.

It will end, eventually. All runs do. But for now, Chur are not merely participating in the Super League; they are reshaping how opponents must approach them. Unbeaten, unafraid, and utterly unwilling to conform, they have turned what was supposed to be a season of survival into one of fascination. Whatever comes next, these opening weeks have already carved out a permanent place in the club’s history. 

What we’re seeing of Arriola is something we haven’t had to in a few years: defensively resilience, organisation, pragmatism, mastering some darks arts where needed. They currently cannot keep the ball out of the back of their own net but this is not down to tactical style, this is down to silly mistakes, lapses in concentration and – across most of the pitch – having inferior players. I’m sure than Arriola won’t mind me saying that, what he’s doing here is nothing short of incredible.