There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League during this term.
Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title target.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership 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.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but opposition teams still struggle to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played 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 keep winning, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, 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
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and purpose.
