It's evident why Arsenal are now countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to contain 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's start 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 leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.
