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It's obvious why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League this season.

Examine their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches in the previous campaign.

The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.

Defensive Strength

Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title goal.

They stand first for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Dominance

Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.

They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 wary of them and it is excellent to see."

Title Claims

What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's beginning 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 maintain victories, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the premier instance 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across various contests

Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and resolve.