It's clear why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title goal.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but rival sides still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Claims
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - 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 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and purpose.
