There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.
Look at their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title target.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but competing clubs still struggle to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 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 fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and resolve.
