There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title target.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but opposition teams still struggle to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating 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 excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and purpose.
