It's clear why Arsenal have become countless pundits' preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
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 afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and resolve.
