There's no doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League during this term.
Consider their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title target.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best 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 well known, but opposition teams still struggle to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Claims
What is especially notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and determination.
