It's clear why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League this season.
Look at their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still struggle to stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and purpose.
