It's evident why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title goal.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (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 best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but competing clubs still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more remarkable 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 ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.
