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There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.

Examine their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches during the prior term.

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

Impenetrable Defense

Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title goal.

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

The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.

Set-Piece Proficiency

Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but opposition teams still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these situations.

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

"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."

Championship Credentials

What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered 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 maintain victories, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.

But the investment has so far paid off in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite several injuries.

• Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
• 385 minutes without conceding a goal
• Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests

Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and determination.