There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' favorites to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but opposition teams still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning 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 ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and purpose.
