'People are intimidated' - why 'juggernaut' Arsenal are the side to defeat.

There's little doubt why Arsenal are now numerous fans' favorites to win the Premier League during this term.

Consider their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus 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 faded in the title race previously.

Defensive Dominance

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title goal.

They stand first for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

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

Set-Piece Mastery

Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize 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 resulting from these situations.

"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."

Championship Pedigree

What is especially remarkable 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 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.

• Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions

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