There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League during this term.
Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title target.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording 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 find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.
