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There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's top picks to win the Premier League this season.

Look at their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches last season.

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

Impenetrable Defense

Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.

They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Superiority

Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but competing clubs still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.

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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."

Title Potential

What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered 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 continue triumphing, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance at this point 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 outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.

But the business has so far paid off in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
• Over six hours without letting in a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament

Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and purpose.