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There's little doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.

Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.

The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.

Defensive Strength

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.

They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).

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

Set-Piece Expertise

Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but opposition teams still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these situations.

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

Title Credentials

What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played 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 continue triumphing, their historic competitors face difficulties. 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
• 385 minutes without allowing a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament

Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and resolve.