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It's clear why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.

Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.

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

Defensive Prowess

Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.

They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (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 Dominance

Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.

They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.

"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."

Championship Claims

What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.

While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the first time 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 outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.

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

• Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
• Over six hours without allowing a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests

Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.