It's obvious why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League this season.
Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Credentials
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business 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 three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.
