It's obvious why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to claim the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far paid off in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and purpose.
