It's obvious why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title target.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is especially remarkable 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 keep winning, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the premier instance at this point 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and determination.