'People are afraid' - the reasons 'powerhouse' Arsenal are the squad everyone fears.
There's no doubt why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title ambition.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (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 widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how 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 resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Claims
What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced 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 long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in quest 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 boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and purpose.