There's little doubt why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title goal.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest 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 widely recognized, but competing clubs still find it difficult to stop 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 resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Claims
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight 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 analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and determination.
