It's evident why Arsenal stand as many people's top picks to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title goal.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but opposition teams still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Claims
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's beginning 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 four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors face difficulties. 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and determination.
