It's clear why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title target.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording 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 opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 pressure was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.
