'People are afraid' - the reasons 'powerhouse' Arsenal have become the team to beat.
It's clear why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing 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 Dominance
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 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 intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors are struggling. This marks the first time 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 pressure was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.
