The proof is undeniable why Arsenal are now countless pundits' top picks to win the Premier League this season.
Examine their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to stop the Gunners from these chances.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is great to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is even more impressive about Arsenal's commencement 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 maintain victories, their long-standing opponents 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 scrutiny was on boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without allowing a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and determination.
