It's evident why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title target.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but competing clubs still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these chances.
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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning 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 ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.
