There's no doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but opposition teams still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's commencement 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 leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion at this point 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and determination.
