It's clear why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to secure the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment 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.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and determination.
