It's clear why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' top picks to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title target.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 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 daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and resolve.
