The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches in the previous campaign.
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 in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They stand first for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but opposition teams still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 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 fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is especially 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 at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and resolve.
