There's little doubt why Arsenal are now many people's top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.
Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but opposition teams still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these chances.
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 afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Pedigree
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 on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that coveted 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 strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.
