There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League this season.
Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title goal.
They lead the league for clean sheets (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 possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but opposition teams still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is especially notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents 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 beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and determination.
