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There's no doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to claim the Premier League during this term.

Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus 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 faded in the title race last season.

Defensive Dominance

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

They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

The defensive partnership 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 Proficiency

Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but rival sides still struggle to stop the Gunners from these situations.

They have notched 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."

Title Claims

What is especially notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.

While they keep winning, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across various contests

Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and resolve.