There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' top picks to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 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 intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more 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 on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors are struggling. 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and resolve.
