It's clear why Arsenal have become countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is especially 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 at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors face difficulties. 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and purpose.
