The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to win the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title ambition.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo 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 highly documented, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.
