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The proof is undeniable why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to claim the Premier League this season.

Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches last season.

The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.

Impenetrable Defense

Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title ambition.

They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

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

Set-Piece Mastery

Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still struggle to stop the Gunners from these situations.

They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."

Title Potential

What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.

While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions

Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and resolve.