There's no doubt why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo 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 stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Claims
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and determination.
