It's clear why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League this season.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to at last realize their title ambition.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest 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 well known, but rival sides still don't know how to neutralize the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Claims
What is especially notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 acquisitions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and resolve.
