It's obvious why Arsenal have become numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title goal.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (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 keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but competing clubs still struggle 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Claims
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's beginning 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 ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion at this juncture 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that long-awaited 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 most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and purpose.
