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It's obvious why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.

Consider their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.

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

Impenetrable Rearguard

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

They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).

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

Set-Piece Proficiency

Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but rival sides still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.

They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.

"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."

Title Potential

What is even more 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 four points clear at the top.

While they keep winning, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion at this point 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 spent around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that coveted first title since 2004.

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

• Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
• Over six hours without letting in a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions

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