It's evident why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to secure the Premier League this season.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. 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 pressure was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and determination.
