There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League during this term.
Examine their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership 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 Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and determination.
