'People are intimidated' - the reasons 'powerhouse' Arsenal have become the team to beat.
There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.
Examine their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title target.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo 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 Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions 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 belief and resolve.
