'People are intimidated' - the reasons 'juggernaut' Arsenal have become the side to defeat.

There's little doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League during this term.

Consider their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches during the prior term.

The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.

Impenetrable Backline

Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.

They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).

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

Set-Piece Mastery

Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these situations.

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

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

Title Potential

What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.

While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
• Over six hours without letting in a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament

Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and determination.