It's obvious why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League during this term.
Consider their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (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 arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Claims
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that elusive 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 having the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and purpose.
