It's clear why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' preferred choice to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but opposition teams still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is especially 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 at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. 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 invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and purpose.
