It's evident why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League during this term.
Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches in the previous campaign.
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 in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but competing clubs still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is especially notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. 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 pressure was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and resolve.
