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It's obvious why Arsenal have become numerous fans' preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.

Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.

The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.

Impenetrable Defense

Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title target.

They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (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 Superiority

Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these chances.

They have registered 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."

Title Credentials

What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered 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 maintain victories, their long-standing opponents are struggling. 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.

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

• Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament

Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.