The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal are now countless pundits' preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest 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 widely recognized, but opposition teams still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating 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 great to see."
Championship Claims
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's beginning 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 ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the premier instance at this stage 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 outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games 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 all competitions
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and determination.
