'People are afraid' - the reasons 'powerhouse' Arsenal have become the team to beat.
There's little doubt why Arsenal are now numerous fans' top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.
Examine their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors face difficulties. 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and purpose.
