It's obvious why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League during this term.
Consider their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, 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, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals face difficulties. 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and resolve.
