It's evident why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title ambition.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but rival sides still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced 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 continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents 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 expectations was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and purpose.
