🔗 Share this article 'People are fearful' - the reasons 'unstoppable force' Arsenal have become the side to defeat. Gabriel Magalhaes rejoices Arsenal's victory over Crystal Palace The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal are now countless pundits' top picks to win the Premier League this season. Consider their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign. The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season. Defensive Strength Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title ambition. They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3). The defensive partnership 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 Proficiency Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations. They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see." Championship Claims What is particularly notable 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 leading by four at the top. While they keep winning, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004. But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite several injuries. Shutouts in three straight Premier League games Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and purpose.