It's obvious why Arsenal have become numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and purpose.
