'People are afraid' - the reasons 'powerhouse' Arsenal have become the squad everyone fears.

It's clear why Arsenal are now countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.

Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches last season.

The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.

Impenetrable Defense

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title target.

They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Dominance

Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.

They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.

"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."

Championship Credentials

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

While they keep winning, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the premier instance 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
• 385 minutes without allowing a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament

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