There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' preferred choice to secure the Premier League during this term.
Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership 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.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly notable 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 keep winning, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts 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 pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and purpose.
