There's little doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They stand first for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 particularly remarkable 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 leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the first time 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and determination.
