It's evident why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (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 maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles 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 impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.
