It's clear why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is especially notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance at this point 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and determination.
