'People are fearful' - why 'powerhouse' Arsenal are the team to beat.

There's little doubt why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.

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 this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.

Impenetrable Backline

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

They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.

Dead-Ball Superiority

Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but competing clubs still struggle to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.

They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."

Title Potential

What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.

While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in quest 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 most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
• Over six hours without conceding a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions

Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and determination.