'People are afraid' - the reasons 'unstoppable force' Arsenal have become the team to beat.
The proof is undeniable why Arsenal are now many people's top picks to win the Premier League this season.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but surrendered 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 looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title target.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (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.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning 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 continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the premier instance at this stage 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 start, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing 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 trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and determination.
