There's little doubt why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League during this term.
Examine their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but dropped 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 seeming ready to finally fulfil their title goal.
They rank top for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but competing clubs still find it difficult to contain 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Claims
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents are struggling. 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful 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
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.
