It's evident why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but rival sides still struggle to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 especially notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors 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 outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and resolve.
