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

Consider their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches last season.

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

Impenetrable Backline

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title ambition.

They stand first for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

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

Set-Piece Mastery

Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but opposition teams still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these chances.

They have notched 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."

Championship Pedigree

What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced 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 continue triumphing, their traditional rivals face difficulties. 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite several injuries.

• Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions

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