The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League during this term.
Consider their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title target.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Claims
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. 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 beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions 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 functioning with confidence and purpose.
