There's little doubt why Arsenal have become numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those same matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects 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 notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and determination.
