It's clear why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Credentials
What is especially notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered 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 keep winning, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the first time 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.
