There's little doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to win the Premier League during this term.
Examine their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title target.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and determination.
