There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to claim the Premier League this season.
Examine their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title target.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and resolve.
