It's evident why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' favorites to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Look at their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent 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 Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They stand first for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the finest 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 highly documented, but competing clubs still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra 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 fear factor. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Claims
What is particularly impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents aren't faring so well. 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in impressive fashion, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and resolve.
