There's little doubt why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to win the Premier League this season.
Consider their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but competing clubs still struggle to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and resolve.
