The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' favorites to claim the Premier League this season.
Examine their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best 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 well known, but opposition teams still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's beginning 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 ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and resolve.
