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There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League this season.

Look at their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.

The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but surrendered 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 primary factor why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title target.

They stand first for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (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 maintaining 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 struggle to contain 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 originating from these situations.

"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."

Title Potential

What is especially 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 on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.

While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.

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

• Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
• Over six hours without letting in a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament

Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and purpose.