It's obvious why Arsenal have become countless pundits' preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest 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 competing clubs still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is especially notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and determination.
