It's evident why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League this season.
Look at their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (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.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is especially notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance at this point of the season since 1992 that none of Manchester City and United, Liverpool or Chelsea are in the Premier League top four.
The scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and resolve.
