'People are fearful' - why 'unstoppable force' Arsenal have become the side to defeat.
It's clear why Arsenal stand as many people's top picks to win the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing 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 highly documented, but competing clubs still struggle to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 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 fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced 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 traditional rivals aren't faring so well. 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and resolve.
