There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to claim the Premier League during this term.
Look at their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title target.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but competing clubs still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming 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 even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three 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 experts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and determination.
