The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League during this term.
Examine their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, 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, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more remarkable 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 keep winning, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. This marks the initial occasion 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and resolve.
