There's no doubt why Arsenal have become numerous fans' favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and resolve.
