There's no doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League this season.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title target.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but competing clubs still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and purpose.
