There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title target.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement 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 four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the first time at this juncture of the season since 1992 that none of Manchester City and United, Liverpool or Chelsea are in the Premier League top four.
The scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and resolve.