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There's no doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League during this term.

Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches in the previous campaign.

The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.

Defensive Strength

Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title goal.

They lead the league for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.

Set-Piece Mastery

Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but competing clubs still find it difficult to stop 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."

Title Claims

What is especially impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.

While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the investment has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite several injuries.

• Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament

Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.