It's evident why Arsenal have become numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League during this term.
Consider their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but rival sides still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these situations.
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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Claims
What is especially remarkable 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 four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited 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 having the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.
