There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' favorites to claim the Premier League this season.
Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest 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 competing clubs still struggle to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Championship Claims
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts 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 analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and purpose.
