There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo 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.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but competing clubs still struggle to stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's beginning 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 maintain victories, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the first time at this point 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 allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and purpose.
