It's obvious why Arsenal have become numerous fans' top picks to secure the Premier League this season.
Look at their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is excellent 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 ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the first time at this point 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and resolve.
