There's little doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but rival sides still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and determination.
