There's little doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.
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 last season.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title ambition.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing 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.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize 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 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."
Title Potential
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played 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 maintain victories, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the initial occasion at this stage 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 spent around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and determination.
