There's little doubt why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to win the Premier League during this term.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title target.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (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.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but competing clubs still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating 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 excellent to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and determination.
