The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal are now countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 Claims
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the first time 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.
