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There's little doubt why Arsenal are now numerous fans' favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.

Examine their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches last season.

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

Impenetrable Defense

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.

They lead the league for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

The central defensive pairing 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.

Dead-Ball Dominance

Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these chances.

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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."

Championship Pedigree

What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.

While they keep winning, their historic competitors are struggling. 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 pressure was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the business has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
• Over six hours without conceding a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament

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