There's little doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to claim the Premier League this season.
Look at their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated 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.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title target.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still struggle to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Potential
What is especially notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side among the highest 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 allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and resolve.
