It's clear why Arsenal are now countless pundits' preferred choice to secure the Premier League during this term.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title goal.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but opposition teams still struggle to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the initial occasion 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and determination.
