It's obvious why Arsenal are now countless pundits' top picks to win the Premier League during this term.
Consider their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical 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 Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (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.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but competing clubs still struggle to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings 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 tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and determination.
