It's clear why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but rival sides still find it difficult 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 coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered 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 maintain victories, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and purpose.
