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There's no doubt why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to win the Premier League during this term.

Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.

The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.

Defensive Prowess

Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title ambition.

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

The center-back duo 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 effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.

They have notched 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 fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."

Title Claims

What is particularly notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.

While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents are struggling. 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite several injuries.

• Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
• 385 minutes without letting in a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests

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