There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but competing clubs still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is especially 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 in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals face difficulties. 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in 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 difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and purpose.
