It's clear why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to win the Premier League this season.
Look at their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement 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 leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.
