There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title goal.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 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 daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered 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 face difficulties. 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that coveted 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 several injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and resolve.
