There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title goal.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize 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 coming 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."
Title Claims
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and resolve.
