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The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' top picks to win the Premier League in the current campaign.

Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches in the previous campaign.

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

Impenetrable Rearguard

Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.

They stand first for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

The central defensive pairing 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 Dominance

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

They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.

"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."

Championship Pedigree

What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.

While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors face difficulties. 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 pressure was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the investment has so far proven successful in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.

• Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
• Over six 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 "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.