It's evident why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but opposition teams still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals are struggling. 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and resolve.
