It's evident why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to win the Premier League this season.
Examine their performances against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are seeming ready to at last realize their title ambition.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), shots let in (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly the finest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Expertise
Their effectiveness from free kicks is well known, but opposition teams still find it difficult to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a fear factor. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Claims
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they keep winning, their traditional rivals aren't faring so well. 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in quest of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now functioning with belief and purpose.