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The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.

Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.

The Gunners have defeated 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 defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title goal.

They rank top for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Dominance

Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, 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, 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 afraid of them and it is great to see."

Championship Pedigree

What is especially 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 on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.

While they keep winning, their traditional rivals are struggling. 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
• Over six hours without conceding a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions

Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and purpose.