There's no doubt why Arsenal are now numerous fans' preferred choice to claim the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing 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.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but opposition teams still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Claims
What is even more impressive 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 maintain victories, their long-standing opponents are struggling. 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and determination.
