There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.
Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
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 intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Claims
What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the first time 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and determination.
