It's obvious why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title target.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but rival sides still struggle to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating 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 excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and resolve.
