There's no doubt why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title goal.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and determination.
