It's obvious why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to claim the Premier League during this term.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Credentials
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the first time 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 allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.
