There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title ambition.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo 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.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion 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 expectations was on boss 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 proven successful 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
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and purpose.
