It's obvious why Arsenal stand as many people's preferred choice to claim the Premier League this season.
Consider their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those same matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race last season.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are looking well positioned to finally fulfil their title goal.
They stand first for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their danger from dead balls is widely recognized, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors face difficulties. 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 pressure was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having spent around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far paid off in impressive fashion, with his side second top scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and determination.
