'People are afraid' - the reasons 'juggernaut' Arsenal have become the squad everyone fears.
There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to win the Premier League during this term.
Look at their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Claims
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the premier instance at this stage 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 additions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and determination.
