It's obvious why Arsenal have become numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially 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 find it difficult to stop 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is even more 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 on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and purpose.
