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There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.

Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.

The Gunners have beaten 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 primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title ambition.

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

The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest 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 find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.

They have registered 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 intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."

Championship Claims

What is particularly notable about Arsenal's start 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 ahead by four points at the top.

While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that coveted first title since 2004.

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

• Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
• 385 minutes without allowing a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament

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