It's clear why Arsenal have become numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League during this term.
Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle to stop 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 coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the initial occasion 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
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 purpose.
