There's no doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to win the Premier League this season.
Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title goal.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Championship Claims
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the first time 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.
