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There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.

Examine their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.

The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, 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 crucial element why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.

They stand first for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Excellence

Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these situations.

They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."

Championship Claims

What is even more impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.

While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the investment has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite several injuries.

• Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours 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 "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and purpose.