'People are afraid' - the reasons 'juggernaut' Arsenal have become the squad everyone fears.
The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to win the Premier League during this term.
Examine their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but opposition teams still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming 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."
Title Credentials
What is particularly 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 on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
