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There's no doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League this season.

Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches during the prior term.

The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.

Defensive Dominance

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

They rank top for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

The center-back duo 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.

Dead-Ball Superiority

Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but opposition teams still don't know how 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."

Title Claims

What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.

While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.

But the business has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
• 385 minutes without allowing a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament

Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.