There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.
Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title target.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing 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 Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Claims
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's start 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 ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the first time 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.
