It's obvious why Arsenal are now countless pundits' top picks to win the Premier League this season.
Consider their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo 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.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but competing clubs still don't know how 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 excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. 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 start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in search of that coveted 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 strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three consecutive Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and purpose.