It's obvious why Arsenal stand as countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League during this term.
Examine their results against Fulham and Crystal Palace versus those same matches during the prior term.
The Gunners have beaten all of them this time around, but lost 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Defensive Strength
Arsenal's defensive solidity is a key reason why they are appearing strong to at last realize their title goal.
They rank top for shutouts (6), goals conceded (3), shots faced (72), dangerous chances allowed (19) and expected goals against (5.3).
The central defensive pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba is potentially 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 highly documented, but rival sides still struggle to neutralize the Gunners from these situations.
They have registered 11 times from set-pieces in the league, two more 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 daunting aura. People are just afraid of them and it is wonderful to see."
Title Claims
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's beginning 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 maintain victories, their historic competitors aren't faring so well. 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 scrutiny was on manager Mikel Arteta at the beginning, having invested around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that long-awaited first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far yielded results in remarkable manner, with his side second top scorers in the league and boasting the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Clean sheets in three straight Premier League games
- 385 minutes without conceding a goal
- Only a trio of goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "unstoppable force, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with confidence and purpose.
