There's little doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League this season.
Consider their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title target.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo 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 danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance at this juncture 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 start, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and resolve.
