There's little doubt why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors are struggling. This marks the initial occasion 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and purpose.
