There's little doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but lost 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 looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still struggle to stop 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Claims
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and resolve.
