It's obvious why Arsenal are now many people's top picks to secure the Premier League this season.
Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but competing clubs still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more impressive 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 leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors are struggling. 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.
