There's little doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with 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 faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title target.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors are struggling. 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and determination.
