There's little doubt why Arsenal are now many people's favorites to win the Premier League during this term.
Look at their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title goal.
They stand first for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and determination.
