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It's evident why Arsenal have become numerous fans' top picks to win the Premier League this season.

Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.

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 in the prior campaign.

Impenetrable Rearguard

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.

They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).

The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.

Set-Piece Mastery

Their danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still find it difficult to stop 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 resulting from these situations.

"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."

Championship Claims

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 on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.

While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors are struggling. 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the investment has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
• 385 minutes without allowing a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests

Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and purpose.