The evidence is unmistakable why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to win the Premier League this season.
Look at their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace in contrast with those same matches last season.
The Gunners have overcome all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race last season.
Impenetrable Backline
Arsenal's backline resilience is a key reason why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title ambition.
They lead the league for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), shots on target faced (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is possibly 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 highly documented, but opposition teams still find it difficult to stop 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 resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Credentials
What is even more 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 on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their historic competitors are struggling. This marks the first time 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 outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in style, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in each of their last three Premier League games
- 385 minutes without allowing a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and resolve.
