It's clear why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and resolve.
