It's clear why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to win the Premier League during this term.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title target.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but opposition teams still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played 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 long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the first time at this point 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 start, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and purpose.
