The evidence is undeniable why Arsenal are now many people's top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Examine their performances against Fulham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have beaten all of them during this campaign, but lost 10 points across those games as they dropped off in the title race last season.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a primary factor why they are looking well positioned to ultimately achieve their title target.
They rank top for clean sheets (6), goals conceded (3), attempts against (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (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.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but rival sides still don't know how to stop the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 11 times from set-pieces in the league, a couple extra than any other side, with 69% of their goals resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Championship Pedigree
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's start to the campaign is they have also played Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still leading by four at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. 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 expectations was on manager Mikel Arteta at the outset, having invested around £250m on eight summer signings in quest of that coveted first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far yielded results in style, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite numerous injuries.
- Shutouts in each of their last three Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without conceding a goal
- Only a handful of concessions in 12 games across every tournament
Former players and analysts have labeled Arteta's men as a "powerhouse, looking hard to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and determination.
