It's clear why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.
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 in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and resolve.
