There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' favorites to secure the Premier League during this term.
Consider their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title target.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and resolve.
