There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Credentials
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance at this juncture 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
