There's no doubt why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches during the prior term.
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.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title target.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (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 keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but opposition teams still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played 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 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.
