It's obvious why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to secure the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but competing clubs still don't know how to neutralize 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the initial occasion 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 acquisitions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and purpose.
