It's clear why Arsenal have become many people's favorites to claim the Premier League this season.
Examine their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title target.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (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.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but competing clubs still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played 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 maintain victories, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the initial occasion 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and determination.
