It's obvious why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to claim the Premier League this season.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches last season.
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 Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly 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 rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 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 intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. 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 pressure was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and resolve.
