There's little doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' preferred choice to win the Premier League this season.
Examine their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but competing clubs still struggle to contain the Gunners from these chances.
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 fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Potential
What is even more notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings 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 having the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and determination.
