There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' top picks to win the Premier League during this term.
Consider their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning 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 keep winning, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.
