There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title goal.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Claims
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered 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 continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the first time at this stage 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 outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that long-awaited 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 several injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and resolve.
