It's evident why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.
They stand first for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (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.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship 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 on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion at this stage 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 start, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and purpose.
