There's little doubt why Arsenal have become numerous fans' favorites to claim the Premier League during this term.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated 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.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but competing clubs still struggle to stop 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 resulting 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 excellent to see."
Title Claims
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and resolve.
