It's evident why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League this season.
Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but rival sides still struggle to stop the Gunners from these chances.
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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and determination.
