The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal are now countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title target.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but competing clubs still struggle to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 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 intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and purpose.
