There's no doubt why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title target.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but rival sides still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 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 fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is especially notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and determination.
