It's obvious why Arsenal are now countless pundits' preferred choice to secure the Premier League this season.
Consider their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest 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 highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 Pedigree
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 leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and purpose.
