The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 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 wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the premier instance at this point 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and determination.
