There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' favorites to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title target.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but rival sides still struggle to stop 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 originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Claims
What is especially 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 keep winning, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and determination.
