There's little doubt why Arsenal are now numerous fans' top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Defensive Strength
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), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly 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 well known, but rival sides still struggle to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's commencement 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 leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and determination.
