It's obvious why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title target.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion at this stage 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and determination.
