There's little doubt why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to claim the Premier League this season.
Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title target.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings 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 having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and determination.
