It's obvious why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly 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 rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered 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 traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and purpose.
