Arsenal: An Unstoppable Powerhouse in the Premier League?
Five consecutive victories, with only three goals allowed throughout the campaign.
Is there any team capable of halting Arsenal, the perennial contenders, from finally securing the Premier League crown after years of frustration?
The Gunners, who triumphed in the English top flight for the last time during Arsene Wengers tenure in 2004, now lead second-placed Manchester City by six points following 10 matches, and hold a seven-point advantage over reigning champions Liverpool.
Supporters of Arsenal might hesitate to embrace excessive optimism, having seen their team settle for second place in each of the previous three campaigns, losing out twice to City and once to Liverpool.
However, betting firms have positioned the North London outfit as clear frontrunners for this term, while football data experts Optas advanced model assigns them a 71 percent probability of clinching the title.
Gary Neville, ex-Manchester United and England defender turned prominent commentator, asserts that the competition is Arsenals for the taking, despite the fact that November has only recently arrived.
"Arsenal would essentially need to undermine their own efforts to drop the title this year," he remarked to NBC Sports, labelling them the top side in the division.
"They stand out as the most reliable performers and have been steadily progressing towards this point over the last three or four years."
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, mindful of his squads pattern of narrowly missing out in recent times, adopts a more reserved stance, emphasising the early stage of proceedings.
"To claim major honours, you must cultivate that winning mentality within the squad, the organisation, and its surroundings, and we currently occupy a strong spot," he explained.
"Yet we recognise how premature this is and the challenges posed by every fixture."
Solid Defensive Foundation
Arsenal benefit from several key strengths: a formidable backline, substantial bench options, and faltering opponents.
Their rearguard statistics are remarkable, featuring shot-stopper David Raya alongside defenders Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel, and Riccardo Calafiori, who form an unmatched unit.
Across 15 outings in various tournaments this season, they have secured an impressive 12 shutouts, including no goals shipped in their most recent seven encounters.
In the Premier League, the Gunners have let in merely three strikes and encountered just a single effort on goal during their previous four domestic outings.
Their forward output is equally noteworthy, enhanced by 12 strikes from set pieces.
Just Manchester City surpass their total of 18 league goals, with 20 to their name.
Moreover, Arsenal possess notable squad versatility following expenditures of approximately £250 million (328 million dollars) during the summer window.
This has enabled them to cope with a lengthy injury roster, encompassing extended absences for Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, plus spells on the sidelines for skipper Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, and Bukayo Saka.
"This season, I sense we form a robust collective with abundant talent," Saka, the England attacker, shared with Sky Sports.
"We have endured numerous setbacks from injuries thus far, yet the replacements have demonstrated our ability to maintain elite standards, which will be essential if we aim to reach the finish."
Neville highlights that Arsenal, vitally, avoid dependence on any one individual as they pursue a 14th English elite division success.
"In every position, they feature adequate duplication with comparable calibre or merely a minor decline," he noted. "The key lies with the head coach preserving his poise to guide them across the threshold."
Manchester City and Liverpool, dominant figures in the Premier League lately, remain the sole credible threats to Arsenal, and dismissing either would be unwise.
That said, City have shown variability, whereas Liverpools success versus Aston Villa at the weekend came after a dismal streak of four successive league losses.
"I doubt City will elevate to their prior peaks and mount a comeback against Arsenal," Neville opined.
"Pep Guardiola is a mastermind, but he lacks the personnel delivering at present. Liverpool represent the sole potential rival, though they must swiftly regain momentum."