'People are intimidated' - why 'powerhouse' Arsenal are the side to defeat.

The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal are now countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.

Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.

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

Impenetrable Rearguard

Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title goal.

They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Excellence

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

"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."

Title Potential

What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's start 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 leading by four at the top.

While they continue triumphing, 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the business has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
• 385 minutes without letting in a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions

Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and purpose.