There's no doubt why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to win the Premier League this season.
Consider their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title target.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but opposition teams still struggle to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in 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 hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and purpose.
