It's obvious why Arsenal have become countless pundits' preferred choice to win the Premier League this season.
Consider their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing 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 well known, but opposition teams still struggle to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Credentials
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played 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 keep winning, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the premier instance 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 start, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far paid off in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and resolve.
