There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' preferred choice to secure the Premier League this season.
Examine their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title target.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but competing clubs still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these situations.
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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's start 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 long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 pressure was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and resolve.
