There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League this season.
Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title target.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and purpose.
