The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title target.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but opposition teams still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and determination.
