There's little doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.
Look at their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title target.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 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 intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Potential
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that coveted 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 having the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
