There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Claims
What is even more 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 four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.
