'People are intimidated' - the reasons 'unstoppable force' Arsenal have become the side to defeat.
It's evident why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches last season.
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 in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title goal.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but competing clubs still struggle to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and determination.
