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There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.

Look at their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches last season.

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

Defensive Strength

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

They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Excellence

Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but opposition teams still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.

They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.

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

Championship Pedigree

What is especially impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.

While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the first time at this juncture 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the business has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Unbreached games in three straight 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 "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.