There's no doubt why Arsenal are now numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title target.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and determination.
