The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' favorites to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title goal.
They stand first for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still struggle to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors are struggling. 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
