The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but competing clubs still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
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."
Championship Credentials
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 ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and determination.
