There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title ambition.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but competing clubs still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
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 fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.
