There's no doubt why Arsenal are now many people's preferred choice to secure the Premier League during this term.
Look at their results against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have defeated all of them this time around, but dropped 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Prowess
Arsenal's defensive strength is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to finally fulfil their title goal.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), opposition efforts (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the best in the league, with Arsenal maintaining a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Proficiency
Their threat from set-pieces is highly documented, but opposition teams still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these opportunities.
They have notched 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 perform multiple roles now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just wary of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Potential
What is especially impressive about Arsenal's commencement to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United at opposition grounds and Manchester City on home turf - and are still ahead by four points at the top.
While they maintain victories, their long-standing opponents face difficulties. This marks the premier instance 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 boss Mikel Arteta at the start, having allocated around £250m on eight summer signings in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the spending has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the strongest defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- 385 minutes without letting in a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and analysts have characterized Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking difficult to stop" with the whole club now performing with belief and purpose.
