There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.
Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title target.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (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 recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but opposition teams still struggle to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors are struggling. This marks the premier instance 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 allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.
