There's no doubt why Arsenal are now numerous fans' preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title ambition.
They rank top for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but competing clubs still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating 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 wonderful to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and determination.
