'People are fearful' - the reasons 'powerhouse' Arsenal have become the team to beat.
There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League during this term.
Consider their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but rival sides still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Claims
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the premier instance at this juncture of the season since 1992 that none of Manchester City and United, Liverpool or Chelsea are in the Premier League top four.
The expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and determination.
