It's clear why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title goal.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search 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 straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and purpose.
