It's obvious why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo 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 Proficiency
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but opposition teams still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 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 fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's beginning 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 four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and determination.
