It's obvious why Arsenal have become countless pundits' preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but rival sides still don't know how 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals face difficulties. 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and determination.
