There's no doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Credentials
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and resolve.
