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

It's evident why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.

Consider their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.

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 in the prior campaign.

Defensive Prowess

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

They lead the league for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

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

Set-Piece Mastery

Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but rival sides still struggle 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 resulting 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 excellent to see."

Title Claims

What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.

While they keep winning, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the first time 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 start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.

But the investment has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
• Over six hours without conceding a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament

Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and resolve.