It's obvious why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Claims
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents are struggling. This marks the first time 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.
