There's little doubt why Arsenal have become numerous fans' preferred choice to win the Premier League during this term.
Look at their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but competing clubs still struggle to stop the Gunners from these chances.
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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Credentials
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors are struggling. This marks the premier instance 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and purpose.