It's evident why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to claim the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title target.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo 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.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but competing clubs still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and determination.
