There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' top picks to win the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls 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, several additional 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 intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Claims
What is especially notable about Arsenal's start 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 keep winning, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and determination.
