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

The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal are now many people's top picks to win the Premier League in the current campaign.

Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches during the prior term.

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

Defensive Strength

Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.

They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).

The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.

Dead-Ball Superiority

Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.

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

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

Championship Claims

What is particularly notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered 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 maintain victories, their traditional rivals are struggling. 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 outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the business has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
• Over six hours without conceding a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests

Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and resolve.