There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's top picks to win the Premier League during this term.
Look at their performances against Newcastle 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 fell away in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They stand first for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but rival sides still find it difficult to contain 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 coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Claims
What is especially notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered 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 continue triumphing, their traditional rivals are struggling. 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent 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 having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing 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 performing with belief and determination.
