'People are intimidated' - why 'juggernaut' Arsenal have become the squad everyone fears.
It's clear why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo 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.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle 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 coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive 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 described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.
