The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal have become countless pundits' preferred choice to win the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still find it difficult to neutralize 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals face difficulties. 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and determination.
