'People are afraid' - the reasons 'unstoppable force' Arsenal are the side to defeat.

It's obvious why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League this season.

Examine their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches last season.

The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.

Impenetrable Backline

Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title goal.

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

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

Dead-Ball Dominance

Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.

They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.

"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."

Championship Pedigree

What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered 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 continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the investment has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.

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

Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and determination.