It's clear why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title target.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 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 intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals face difficulties. 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and determination.
