There's no doubt why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent 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 Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title target.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Potential
What is especially notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the first time 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful 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 letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and determination.
