It's evident why Arsenal have become many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League this season.
Look at their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title ambition.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 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 wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Claims
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in 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 hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and purpose.