The proof is undeniable why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to claim the Premier League this season.
Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle 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 resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and determination.
