It's obvious why Arsenal have become numerous fans' top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title goal.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Claims
What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered 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 continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.
