It's evident why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title target.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (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 Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but opposition teams still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is especially notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals are struggling. 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 beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and resolve.
