There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but opposition teams still struggle to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Claims
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors are struggling. This marks the premier instance 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and purpose.
