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There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to secure the Premier League this season.

Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches in the previous campaign.

The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.

Defensive Strength

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title target.

They rank top for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (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.

Set-Piece Mastery

Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still don't know how 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 coming from these situations.

"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."

Title Claims

What is even more impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.

While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.

But the investment has so far proven successful in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament

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