It's obvious why Arsenal have become numerous fans' preferred choice to win the Premier League this season.
Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing 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.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle to neutralize 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Claims
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the first time at this stage 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 additions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and determination.
