It's obvious why Arsenal are now many people's top picks to claim the Premier League this season.
Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title ambition.
They stand first for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership 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.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive 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 pundits have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and resolve.
