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It's clear why Arsenal have become numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.

Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches in the previous campaign.

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

Defensive Prowess

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title goal.

They stand first for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

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

Set-Piece Proficiency

Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but opposition teams 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 coming 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 Claims

What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.

While they keep winning, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the first time 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions

Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and purpose.