'People are afraid' - the reasons 'powerhouse' Arsenal have become the team to beat.
The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is even more notable 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 ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the first time at this juncture 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and determination.
