There's little doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 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 daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals are struggling. This marks the initial occasion at this juncture 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 allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
