It's clear why Arsenal stand as many people's top picks to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing 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 well known, but rival sides still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the first time at this stage 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive 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 "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and resolve.
