It's clear why Arsenal have become numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League during this term.
Consider their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title target.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but opposition teams still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and purpose.
