'People are fearful' - why 'unstoppable force' Arsenal have become the team to beat.
The proof is unmistakable why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League this season.
Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title target.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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."
Title Potential
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and determination.
