The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title target.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals are struggling. 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and resolve.
