There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' preferred choice to win the Premier League this season.
Examine their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced 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 historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.
