There's little doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title target.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Claims
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors are struggling. 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 start, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and purpose.
