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It's obvious why Arsenal are now numerous fans' favorites to claim the Premier League during this term.

Look at their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches in the previous campaign.

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

Defensive Prowess

Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title goal.

They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).

The central defensive pairing 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.

Set-Piece Expertise

Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.

They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."

Championship Claims

What is particularly notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear at the top.

While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the initial occasion 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the spending has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.

• Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
• Over six hours without allowing a goal
• Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions

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