It's evident why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to claim the Premier League during this term.
Examine their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 fearful of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and resolve.
