There's little doubt why Arsenal are now many people's top picks to win the Premier League during this term.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo 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.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.
