It's evident why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership 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 threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Claims
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced 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 traditional rivals face difficulties. 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 additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending 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.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and determination.
