There's little doubt why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
