There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' top picks to secure the Premier League this season.
Examine their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing 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.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but opposition teams still struggle to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors are struggling. This marks the premier instance at this point of the season since 1992 that none of Manchester City and United, Liverpool or Chelsea are in the Premier League top four.
The pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and resolve.
