There's no doubt why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to win the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title goal.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but opposition teams still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating 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."
Title Credentials
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the first time at this stage 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and determination.
