There's little doubt why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title target.
They rank top for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, 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 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 Claims
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played 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 maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and resolve.
