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It's evident why Arsenal are now countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League this season.

Examine their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches in the previous campaign.

The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.

Defensive Strength

Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title target.

They stand first for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Superiority

Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but competing clubs still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these chances.

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

Championship Pedigree

What is particularly notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.

While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the business has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament

Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and determination.