It's clear why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title target.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still struggle to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's start 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 long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the first time 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple 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 described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and resolve.
