It's clear why Arsenal are now countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League this season.
Examine their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (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 Mastery
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but opposition teams still struggle to contain 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 resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Credentials
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion at this stage 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and resolve.
