There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' preferred choice to secure the Premier League during this term.
Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Claims
What is especially notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and purpose.
