There's no doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' preferred choice to win the Premier League during this term.
Examine their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (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 Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but rival sides still struggle to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is especially 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 four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and determination.
