'People are intimidated' - the reasons 'powerhouse' Arsenal are the team to beat.

The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.

Consider their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches last season.

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

Defensive Dominance

Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title target.

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

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

Dead-Ball Excellence

Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize 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 afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."

Title Potential

What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.

While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the first time at this point 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 start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.

But the investment has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
• 385 minutes without letting in a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions

Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and resolve.