There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title target.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (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 Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but competing clubs still struggle to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement 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 leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the premier instance at this point 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and determination.
