There's no doubt why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' top picks to win the Premier League this season.
Look at their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome 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 backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title target.
They rank top for unbreached games (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Excellence
Their danger from dead balls is well known, but opposition teams still struggle to contain the Gunners from these chances.
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 intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played 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 continue triumphing, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. This marks the first time 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and determination.
