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There's little doubt why Arsenal are now many people's top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.

Consider their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those same matches last season.

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

Defensive Prowess

Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title target.

They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (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.

Dead-Ball Superiority

Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but rival sides still struggle to stop the Gunners from these situations.

They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.

"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."

Title Credentials

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

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

But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
• 385 minutes without conceding a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament

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