🔗 Share this article 'People are intimidated' - the reasons 'powerhouse' Arsenal have become the team to beat. Gabriel Magalhaes celebrates Arsenal's triumph over Crystal Palace The proof is unmistakable why Arsenal stand as many people's top picks to secure the Premier League this season. Examine their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches in the previous campaign. The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season. Defensive Prowess Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition. They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3). The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly 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 widely recognized, but rival sides still struggle to contain 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 afraid of them and it is wonderful to see." Championship Pedigree What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top. While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. 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 outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004. But the business has so far paid off in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries. Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games 385 minutes without conceding a goal Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.