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The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.

Consider their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.

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

Defensive Dominance

Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title goal.

They lead the league for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).

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

Dead-Ball Superiority

Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.

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

"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."

Championship Pedigree

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

While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.

But the business has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite several injuries.

• Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
• Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions

Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.