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There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.

Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches in the previous campaign.

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

Impenetrable Defense

Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title goal.

They rank top for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Superiority

Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but opposition teams still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these chances.

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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."

Title Credentials

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

While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the investment has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite several injuries.

• Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament

Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and determination.