It's clear why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with 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 dropped off in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title ambition.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but opposition teams still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these chances.
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 wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's commencement 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 ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the first time 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and purpose.
