It's evident why Arsenal are now numerous fans' preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.
They lead the league for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest 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 widely recognized, but rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting 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 Claims
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents are struggling. 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight 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 "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.
