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

The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to secure the Premier League during this term.

Examine their outcomes 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 lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.

Impenetrable Defense

Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title ambition.

They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).

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

Set-Piece Expertise

Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but rival sides still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.

They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.

"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."

Championship Claims

What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the business has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Unbreached games 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 analysts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.