It's obvious why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League this season.
Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing 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 widely recognized, 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 originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced 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 keep winning, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and purpose.
