It's evident why Arsenal have become numerous fans' top picks to claim the Premier League this season.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Claims
What is especially notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals are struggling. 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested 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 second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts 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 all competitions
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and resolve.
