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It's evident why Arsenal are now countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.

Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches last season.

The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.

Defensive Strength

Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title goal.

They rank top for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

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

Set-Piece Expertise

Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but opposition teams still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.

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

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

Championship Claims

What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.

While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion at this point 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 beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the investment has so far proven successful in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests

Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and purpose.