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It's obvious why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.

Examine their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches last season.

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

Defensive Prowess

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title target.

They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.

Dead-Ball Dominance

Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but opposition teams still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these situations.

They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.

"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."

Title Potential

What is particularly notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.

While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the spending 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.

• Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament

Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and determination.