There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.
Look at their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title target.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (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 Excellence
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but rival sides still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 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 Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals 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 outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive 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 pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and resolve.
