It's evident why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to secure the Premier League during this term.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title target.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle 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 coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Claims
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without allowing a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with conviction and purpose.
