There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but competing clubs still struggle to stop the Gunners from these chances.
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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the first time 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 beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.
