It's obvious why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to claim the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but rival sides still don't know how to stop 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 coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.
