There's no doubt why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to claim the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title goal.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors are struggling. 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 beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and resolve.
