It's evident why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' top picks to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but competing clubs still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 invested around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes 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 challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and determination.
