It's evident why Arsenal have become countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (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 Expertise
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but opposition teams still struggle to stop 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 daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the initial occasion 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and resolve.
