'People are afraid' - why 'powerhouse' Arsenal have become the squad everyone fears.
The proof is unmistakable why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League this season.
Look at their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title target.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but rival sides 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 originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary 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 faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, 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 pressure was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.
