It's clear why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' top picks to win the Premier League during this term.
Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and determination.
