There's no doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' top picks to claim the Premier League this season.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.
They stand first for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but rival sides still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the premier instance 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and purpose.
