The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title target.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is especially notable about Arsenal's start 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 leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and resolve.
