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It's obvious why Arsenal are now countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.

Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches last season.

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

Defensive Dominance

Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title goal.

They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Excellence

Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.

They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 great to see."

Title Potential

What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.

While they keep winning, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that coveted first title since 2004.

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

• Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
• 385 minutes without conceding a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament

Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and purpose.