It's evident why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to claim the Premier League this season.
Consider their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title target.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to stop 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 resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Potential
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds 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 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and determination.
