It's clear why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those same 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.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing 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 Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 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 wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's beginning 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 maintain victories, their traditional rivals are struggling. 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
