The proof is undeniable why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those same matches last season.
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 last season.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but competing clubs still don't know how 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 originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors are struggling. This marks the initial occasion 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and resolve.
