It's evident why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title goal.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest 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 highly documented, but opposition teams still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 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 fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is even more notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in search 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 boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive 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 difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and determination.
