'People are afraid' - why 'powerhouse' Arsenal are the squad everyone fears.
It's clear why Arsenal have become numerous fans' preferred choice to secure the Premier League during this term.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, 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 style, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and purpose.
