'People are afraid' - the reasons 'powerhouse' Arsenal are the side to defeat.
The proof is undeniable why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title goal.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but competing clubs still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.
