There's no doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's beginning 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 leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals 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 pressure was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and resolve.
