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There's no doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to win the Premier League during this term.

Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches during the prior term.

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

Impenetrable Defense

Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title goal.

They lead the league for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Superiority

Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to contain the Gunners from these chances.

They have notched 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."

Championship Claims

What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's commencement 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 ahead by four points at the top.

While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the business has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.

• Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
• 385 minutes without letting in a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests

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