There's little doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' preferred choice to claim the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results 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 dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title ambition.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly 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 rival sides still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional 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 intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is great to see."
Championship Claims
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the tightest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and resolve.
