There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League this season.
Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated 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.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title target.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but opposition teams still struggle to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors are struggling. This marks the initial occasion 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.
