It's obvious why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but opposition teams still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 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 intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly 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 at home - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and resolve.
