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The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League during this term.

Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches during the prior term.

The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.

Defensive Dominance

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title ambition.

They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (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.

Dead-Ball Excellence

Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.

They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.

"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."

Title Potential

What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.

While they maintain victories, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion 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 outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
• 385 minutes without allowing a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament

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