It's clear why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to win the Premier League during this term.
Examine their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title goal.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these situations.
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 intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors are struggling. This marks the first time 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 beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
