'People are afraid' - why 'powerhouse' Arsenal are the side to defeat.
There's little doubt why Arsenal are now many people's top picks to win the Premier League during this term.
Consider their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the initial occasion 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.
