It's obvious why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title target.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but opposition teams still struggle to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Credentials
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the first time at this point 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 allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and determination.
