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It's evident why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to claim the Premier League during this term.

Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches during the prior term.

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 previously.

Impenetrable Defense

Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title ambition.

They stand first for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).

The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.

Dead-Ball Excellence

Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these situations.

They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting 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 especially notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.

While they keep winning, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.

But the business has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions

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