There's little doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' top picks to win the Premier League during this term.
Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to 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 fell away in the title race last season.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 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 daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and determination.
