There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' preferred choice to secure the Premier League this season.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title target.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but opposition teams still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors 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 spent around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and determination.
