There's little doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title goal.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but rival sides still struggle to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Claims
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated 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 one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and resolve.
