There's little doubt why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to secure the Premier League this season.
Look at their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title target.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Claims
What is especially notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and resolve.
