There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as many people's top picks to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title target.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Claims
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals face difficulties. 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and purpose.
