The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League during this term.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming 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."
Championship Claims
What is especially notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
