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There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to claim the Premier League this season.

Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with 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 faded in the title race in the prior campaign.

Defensive Dominance

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title ambition.

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

The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.

Dead-Ball Dominance

Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but competing clubs still struggle to stop 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 coming from these situations.

"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."

Title Potential

What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.

While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the investment has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
• Over six hours without letting in a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament

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