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It's clear why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League this season.

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

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

Impenetrable Defense

Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title goal.

They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Excellence

Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these chances.

They have scored 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."

Title Credentials

What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's start 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 leading by four at the top.

While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite several injuries.

• Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions

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