It's obvious why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They lead the league for clean sheets (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 strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Championship Claims
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and determination.
