It's evident why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to claim the Premier League during this term.
Examine their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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."
Championship Claims
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the initial occasion 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and resolve.
