There's little doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title goal.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo 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 threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but opposition teams still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Credentials
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's beginning 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 leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors are struggling. This marks the initial occasion at this point 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three 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 described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and purpose.
