It's evident why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to claim the Premier League during this term.
Consider their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches during the prior term.
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 Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Claims
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.
