It's clear why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches last season.
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 previously.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title target.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is especially notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors face difficulties. 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.
