It's clear why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title target.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still struggle to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Claims
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - 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 juncture 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 start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and purpose.
