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There's little doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' preferred choice to win the Premier League this season.

Look at their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches during the prior term.

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

Impenetrable Backline

Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.

They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

The center-back duo 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.

Set-Piece Expertise

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

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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."

Championship Claims

What is particularly notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.

While they maintain victories, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.

• Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
• 385 minutes without conceding a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests

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