It's obvious why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to claim the Premier League this season.
Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title target.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still don't know how to stop 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 originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and purpose.
