'People are fearful' - why 'unstoppable force' Arsenal have become the team to beat.

There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League during this term.

Look at their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches during the prior term.

The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.

Defensive Dominance

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title goal.

They lead the league for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).

The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest 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 well known, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.

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

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

Title Claims

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

While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
• 385 minutes without letting in a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests

Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and determination.