The proof is unmistakable why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League this season.
Look at their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that long-awaited 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 strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and purpose.
