It's clear why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title ambition.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is especially notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.
