It's obvious why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.
Look at their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title goal.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (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 Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Credentials
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals face difficulties. 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 beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.
