It's evident why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' preferred choice to secure the Premier League during this term.
Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title goal.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these chances.
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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals 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 functioning with belief and resolve.
