'People are afraid' - why 'juggernaut' Arsenal have become the team to beat.
There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to claim the Premier League during this term.
Examine their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title goal.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo 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.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but rival sides still struggle to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 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 daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the first time 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off 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 letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and purpose.
