'People are intimidated' - why 'unstoppable force' Arsenal have become the squad everyone fears.

There's little doubt why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League during this term.

Consider their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus 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 faded in the title race in the prior campaign.

Impenetrable Backline

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title goal.

They rank top for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

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

Set-Piece Mastery

Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle to stop 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 originating from these situations.

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

Title Claims

What is particularly notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced 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 historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the premier instance at this stage 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 beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that elusive 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 having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
• 385 minutes without conceding a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions

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.