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It's evident why Arsenal are now numerous fans' top picks to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.

Look at their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.

The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.

Defensive Dominance

Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.

They lead the league for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

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

Set-Piece Proficiency

Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these chances.

They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.

"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."

Title Claims

What is particularly notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.

While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents are struggling. 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent 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 second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite several injuries.

• Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
• Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions

Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and resolve.