It's obvious why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title target.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Claims
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the tightest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight 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 experts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and purpose.