'People are fearful' - the reasons 'juggernaut' Arsenal have become the squad everyone fears.

There's little doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League this season.

Examine their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.

The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.

Defensive Dominance

Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title target.

They stand first for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

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

Set-Piece Mastery

Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to contain 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 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."

Title Credentials

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 on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.

While they keep winning, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the premier instance at this juncture 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across various contests

Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and purpose.