There's no doubt why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best 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 widely recognized, but opposition teams still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement 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 ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the first time 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.
