It's clear why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to win the Premier League during this term.
Examine their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They lead the league 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 arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but rival sides still don't know how to contain 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals are struggling. 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with conviction and determination.
