It's evident why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League during this term.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is especially notable about Arsenal's beginning 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 continue triumphing, their historic competitors 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions 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 possessing the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and resolve.
