It's evident why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League this season.
Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title target.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership 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.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but opposition teams still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Claims
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - 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 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top 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 a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and determination.
