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There's no doubt why Arsenal are now numerous fans' preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.

Consider their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.

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

Defensive Prowess

Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title ambition.

They stand first for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Excellence

Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but competing clubs still struggle to contain the Gunners from these situations.

They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.

"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."

Championship Credentials

What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds 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 outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.

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

• Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
• Over six hours without conceding a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament

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