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It's clear why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.

Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.

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

Defensive Dominance

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title ambition.

They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Superiority

Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still struggle to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.

They have registered 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."

Title Credentials

What is especially impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear at the top.

While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.

But the investment has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite several injuries.

• Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
• 385 minutes without conceding a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament

Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.