There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as numerous fans' top picks to claim the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their effectiveness from free kicks is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle to stop the Gunners from these chances.
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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning 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 maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. This marks the premier instance at this point 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and pundits have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.
