There's little doubt why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to win the Premier League this season.
Consider their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title goal.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (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 Dominance
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the premier instance at this juncture 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 start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and purpose.
