It's obvious why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (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.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but opposition teams still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and determination.
