The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League this season.
Look at their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title target.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership 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.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming 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 excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
