It's obvious why Arsenal are now countless pundits' preferred choice to win the Premier League during this term.
Consider their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those same 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.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but rival sides still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 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 wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and resolve.
