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There's little doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.

Look at their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.

The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.

Impenetrable Rearguard

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title goal.

They rank top for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.

Dead-Ball Dominance

Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but competing clubs still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these situations.

They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.

"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."

Championship Claims

What is even more notable 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 four points clear at the top.

While they keep winning, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the first time at this stage 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 outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.

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

• Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
• 385 minutes without allowing a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions

Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and resolve.