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The proof is unmistakable why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.

Look at their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.

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

Impenetrable Defense

Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title target.

They lead the league 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 best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.

Dead-Ball Dominance

Their danger from dead balls is well known, but rival sides still struggle to stop 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 coming from these situations.

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

Championship Pedigree

What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.

While they keep winning, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
• Over six hours without letting in 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 difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and purpose.