It's obvious why Arsenal are now numerous fans' top picks to win the Premier League this season.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title target.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but opposition teams still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these situations.
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 afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and purpose.
