It's obvious why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine 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 lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive strength is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but opposition teams still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Claims
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors are struggling. This marks the premier instance 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and purpose.
