It's evident why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League during this term.
Consider their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but competing clubs still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these situations.
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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and determination.
