It's obvious why Arsenal have become countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League during this term.
Consider their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches last season.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Rearguard
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Dead-Ball Dominance
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but competing clubs still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, several additional than any other side, with 69% of their goals coming from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a daunting aura. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Potential
What is particularly notable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals are struggling. 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games 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 described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and resolve.