'People are fearful' - the reasons 'juggernaut' Arsenal have become the squad everyone fears.
There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' favorites to win the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title target.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still struggle to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Claims
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and determination.
