There's little doubt why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League this season.
Consider their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the first time 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 allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and determination.
