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There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.

Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.

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

Impenetrable Rearguard

Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title ambition.

They stand first for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

The defensive partnership 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.

Set-Piece Expertise

Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but competing clubs still struggle to stop the Gunners from these situations.

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

Title Claims

What is especially impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.

While they keep winning, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the investment has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
• 385 minutes without allowing a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions

Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and resolve.