It's clear why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to claim the Premier League this season.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership 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.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but opposition teams still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered 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 keep winning, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and resolve.
