The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal stand as many people's top picks to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but opposition teams still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the premier instance 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 pressure was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and resolve.
