There's no doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.
