'People are afraid' - why 'unstoppable force' Arsenal have become the squad everyone fears.
It's clear why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to win the Premier League this season.
Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title target.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and resolve.
