'People are intimidated' - the reasons 'unstoppable force' Arsenal have become the team to beat.

It's clear why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to claim the Premier League during this term.

Look at their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches last season.

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

Impenetrable Backline

Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title target.

They stand first for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

The center-back duo 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.

Dead-Ball Excellence

Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.

They have registered 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."

Championship Claims

What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - 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 initial occasion 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

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

• Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
• Over six hours without allowing a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions

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