There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League during this term.
Examine their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title goal.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (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.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite several 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 pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
