It's evident why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League during this term.
Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten 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 defensive strength is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title target.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is especially notable about Arsenal's beginning 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 historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the first time at this stage 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and determination.
