'People are afraid' - why 'juggernaut' Arsenal are the squad everyone fears.
The proof is undeniable why Arsenal have become countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.
Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title goal.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but competing clubs still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Credentials
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the premier instance at this point of the season since 1992 that none of Manchester City and United, Liverpool or Chelsea are in the Premier League top four.
The pressure was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and resolve.
