It's obvious why Arsenal stand as many people's top picks to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title target.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles 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 impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and determination.
