There's little doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their outcomes against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's defensive strength is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the best in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is widely recognized, but rival sides still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is wonderful to see."
Championship Credentials
What is even more notable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City at home - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors are struggling. This marks the premier instance 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 head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit 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 boasting the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets 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 pundits have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now operating with belief and purpose.
