There's little doubt why Arsenal have become numerous fans' preferred choice to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title goal.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle to contain 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Claims
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 in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and purpose.
