It's clear why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but competing clubs still struggle to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors are struggling. 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and determination.
