It's clear why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to claim the Premier League this season.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title target.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (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 Expertise
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Claims
What is especially notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and resolve.
