It's obvious why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League this season.
Examine their outcomes against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those identical matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title ambition.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (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.
Dead-Ball Superiority
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but opposition teams still find it difficult to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have registered 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is even more notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City on home turf - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the first time 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 pressure was on boss Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far proven successful in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets 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 experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and determination.
