It's clear why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to win the Premier League during this term.
Look at their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but rival sides still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Claims
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents are struggling. 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and purpose.
