There's little doubt why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League this season.
Examine their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They stand first 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 keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting 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 great to see."
Title Claims
What is especially notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the first time at this juncture 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 beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
