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There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League during this term.

Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches last season.

The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.

Impenetrable Rearguard

Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.

They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Dominance

Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.

They have notched 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."

Championship Claims

What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.

While they continue triumphing, 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
• Over six hours without letting in a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests

Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.