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The proof is undeniable why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.

Consider their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.

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

Defensive Prowess

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

They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Excellence

Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.

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 wary of them and it is great to see."

Championship Pedigree

What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.

While they maintain victories, their historic competitors are struggling. 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the business has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament

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