There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.
Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining 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 don't know how 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 coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Claims
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite several 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 various contests
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and determination.
