The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' top picks to claim the Premier League this season.
Consider their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title target.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
