There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' top picks to claim the Premier League this season.
Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (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 keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but competing clubs still don't know how to contain 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 coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more 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 at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents are struggling. 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite numerous 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 "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and purpose.
