It's obvious why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (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 Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but opposition teams still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 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 daunting aura. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Credentials
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also faced 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 continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance at this stage 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and resolve.
