There's little doubt why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League this season.
Examine their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title ambition.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still struggle to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the first time 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and purpose.
