There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' top picks to win the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title target.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially 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 well known, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite several injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and determination.
