The proof is undeniable why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to win the Premier League during this term.
Examine their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to 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 fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but opposition teams still find it difficult 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 coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
