There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' top picks to claim the Premier League during this term.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to neutralize 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 resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.
