'People are afraid' - why 'unstoppable force' Arsenal have become the side to defeat.
There's no doubt why Arsenal have become numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches last season.
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 last season.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the premier instance at this point of the season since 1992 that none of Manchester City and United, Liverpool or Chelsea are in the Premier League top four.
The scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and determination.
