It's evident why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League during this term.
Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but dropped 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 appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title target.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but competing clubs still struggle to contain 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 resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played 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 keep winning, their traditional rivals 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 outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.
