There's little doubt why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered 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 historic competitors aren't faring so well. 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and resolve.
