The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest 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 opposition teams still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Claims
What is especially notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion at this juncture 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 start, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and purpose.
