There's little doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title ambition.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but rival sides still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Championship Claims
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion at this point 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 start, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and purpose.
