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It's clear why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.

Consider their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches last season.

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

Impenetrable Backline

Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title target.

They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

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

Set-Piece Mastery

Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but competing clubs still struggle to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.

They have notched 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 daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."

Title Credentials

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

While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals are struggling. 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
• Over six hours without allowing a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests

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