There's little doubt why Arsenal are now many people's top picks to claim the Premier League during this term.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title target.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still struggle to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 wonderful to see."
Championship Claims
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 invested around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and determination.
