It's clear why Arsenal are now numerous fans' preferred choice to win the Premier League this season.
Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
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), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced 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 continue triumphing, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the first time at this juncture 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight 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 difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and determination.
