It's obvious why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining 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 struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 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 intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Claims
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit 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 possessing the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.
