It's clear why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League during this term.
Examine their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership 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 Expertise
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming 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 great to see."
Title Claims
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and determination.
