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There's no doubt why Arsenal have become numerous fans' preferred choice to secure the Premier League this season.

Examine their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches last season.

The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.

Impenetrable Rearguard

Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.

They rank top for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording 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 struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.

They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.

"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."

Title Potential

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

While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents are struggling. 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far proven successful in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the strongest defense, despite several injuries.

• Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding 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 hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and determination.