It's obvious why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League during this term.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Claims
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and determination.
