'People are fearful' - why 'unstoppable force' Arsenal have become the team to beat.

It's obvious why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League during this term.

Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.

The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.

Defensive Dominance

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title target.

They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.

Set-Piece Proficiency

Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but opposition teams still struggle to contain the Gunners from these situations.

They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.

"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."

Title Credentials

What is even more 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 on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.

While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion 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 allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the investment has so far proven successful in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament

Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.