It's obvious why Arsenal stand as many people's top picks to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title goal.
They rank top for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still struggle to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 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 intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Claims
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 keep winning, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the first time at this stage 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 beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and resolve.
