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

Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches last season.

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

Defensive Strength

Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.

They rank top for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).

The center-back duo 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 effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but competing clubs still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.

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 fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."

Title Potential

What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.

While they maintain victories, their historic competitors face difficulties. 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the business has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
• Over six hours without letting in a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests

Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and determination.