It's evident why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to win the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title target.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but competing clubs still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.
