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

It's evident why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.

Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches during the prior term.

The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.

Defensive Dominance

Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title ambition.

They stand first for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Superiority

Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.

They have registered 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."

Championship Claims

What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.

While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

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

• Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
• Over six hours without conceding a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests

Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and purpose.