It's obvious why Arsenal have become many people's top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title ambition.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but rival sides still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their long-standing opponents are struggling. 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and determination.
