It's evident why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to secure the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title target.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Claims
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the first time 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six 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 "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.
