It's clear why Arsenal stand as many people's favorites to secure the Premier League this season.
Examine their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace compared to those identical matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a primary factor why they are seeming ready to finally fulfil their title target.
They lead the league for clean sheets (6), goals allowed (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially the strongest in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but rival sides still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these situations.
They have scored 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 afraid of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also encountered Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City at home - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their long-standing opponents are struggling. 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 scrutiny was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having allocated around £250m on eight summer additions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the business has so far proven successful in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and possessing the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now operating with confidence and purpose.
