There's little doubt why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title target.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but competing clubs still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is even more impressive 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 leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals face difficulties. 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions 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 performing with conviction and resolve.
