'People are intimidated' - the reasons 'powerhouse' Arsenal have become the squad everyone fears.
The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal have become countless pundits' preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership 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.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the first time 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and resolve.
