It's evident why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.
Consider their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title target.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 fearful of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. 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 outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and resolve.
