There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' top picks to win the Premier League during this term.
Examine their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent 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 fell away in the title race last season.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They rank top for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but competing clubs still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 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 intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Claims
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's commencement 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 four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors face difficulties. 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and resolve.
