There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.
Look at their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title target.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating 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."
Title Credentials
What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement 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 keep winning, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance at this point 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 outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
