There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League during this term.
Examine their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing 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.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Claims
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors are struggling. This marks the initial occasion at this stage 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 start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and determination.
