It's obvious why Arsenal stand as many people's top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated 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.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (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 Excellence
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but rival sides still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 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 intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played 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 are struggling. 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 pressure was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in 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 conviction and resolve.
