The proof is undeniable why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League this season.
Consider their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but competing clubs still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement 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 ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and purpose.
