It's clear why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their outcomes against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title goal.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain 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 great to see."
Title Potential
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's start 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 aren't faring so well. 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 start, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and purpose.
