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It's obvious why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to claim the Premier League this season.

Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.

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

Impenetrable Rearguard

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title ambition.

They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Superiority

Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.

They have scored 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 fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."

Title Potential

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

While they maintain victories, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the business has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
• 385 minutes without allowing a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests

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