The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership 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 Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors face difficulties. 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and resolve.
