It's evident why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but opposition teams still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played 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 keep winning, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance at this juncture of the season since 1992 that none of Manchester City and United, Liverpool or Chelsea are in the Premier League top four.
The scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and resolve.
