It's clear why Arsenal stand as many people's top picks to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title ambition.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but competing clubs still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 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 fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.
