There's little doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to claim the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title goal.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest 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 well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 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 intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is especially notable about Arsenal's beginning 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 ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and determination.
