There's little doubt why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Potential
What is even more notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the premier instance 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and determination.
