It's evident why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' favorites to win the Premier League this season.
Look at their results against Newcastle and Crystal Palace versus those equivalent matches last season.
The Gunners have beaten all of them in the current season, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they fell away in the title race in the prior campaign.
Defensive Dominance
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are appearing strong to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They stand first for shutouts (6), shots let in (3), opposition efforts (72), quality opportunities against (19) and anticipated concessions (5.3).
The defensive partnership of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal recording a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their threat from set-pieces is well known, but competing clubs still find it difficult to contain the Gunners from these situations.
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 do a bit of everything now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just fearful of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Claims
What is even more remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced Manchester United, Liverpool and Newcastle United away from home and Manchester City in their own stadium - and are still four points clear at the top.
While they keep winning, their historic competitors face difficulties. This marks the initial occasion 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 manager Mikel Arteta at the start, having spent around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in search of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the business has so far paid off in remarkable manner, with his side among the highest scorers in the league and boasting the most resilient defense, despite multiple injuries.
- Shutouts in three straight Premier League games
- Nearly 6.5 hours without letting in a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across various contests
Former players and experts have labeled Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now performing with confidence and resolve.
