The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to secure the Premier League this season.
Look at their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but opposition teams still struggle to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 great to see."
Championship Claims
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors face difficulties. 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing 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 conviction and purpose.
