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There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League this season.

Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches during the prior term.

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 in the prior campaign.

Impenetrable Backline

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

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

Dead-Ball Superiority

Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.

They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."

Title Credentials

What is particularly notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.

While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the first time 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 pressure was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.

But the investment has so far paid off in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.

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

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