There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' favorites to claim the Premier League this season.
Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing 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 Expertise
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Claims
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the premier instance at this stage 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets 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 analysts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.
