'People are intimidated' - why 'unstoppable force' Arsenal have become the squad everyone fears.
There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' top picks to win the Premier League this season.
Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership 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 highly documented, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Potential
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals face difficulties. 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.
