It's obvious why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to win the Premier League this season.
Consider their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace compared to those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but dropped 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title ambition.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (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 best 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 widely recognized, but rival sides still don't know how to contain the Gunners from these chances.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more than any other side, with 69% of their goals originating from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is great to see."
Title Claims
What is especially remarkable about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United on the road and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they continue triumphing, their traditional rivals face difficulties. 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 expectations was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the start, having invested around £250m on eight summer additions in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the most resilient defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and experts have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and purpose.