There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably 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 competing clubs still struggle to neutralize 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 fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the first time 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.
