It's obvious why Arsenal have become numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches during the prior term.
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 last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title target.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and resolve.
