It's obvious why Arsenal are now numerous fans' preferred choice to win the Premier League during this term.
Look at their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title target.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly 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 opposition teams still struggle to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered 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 long-standing opponents face difficulties. 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and determination.
