There's little doubt why Arsenal have become numerous fans' top picks to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title goal.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but opposition teams still find it difficult to neutralize 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 coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors are struggling. 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and determination.
