There's little doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but rival sides still struggle to stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is especially notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.
