It's obvious why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' top picks to claim the Premier League during this term.
Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They stand first for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but rival sides still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home 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 premier instance 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
