There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent 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 at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals face difficulties. 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.
