There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League during this term.
Examine their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit 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 having the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and purpose.
