The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' favorites to claim the Premier League this season.
Consider their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title target.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 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 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 Claims
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings 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 most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.
