It's obvious why Arsenal stand as many people's top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal recording 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 don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and resolve.
