There's little doubt why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to secure the Premier League during this term.
Examine their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize 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 originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear 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 start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.
