There's little doubt why Arsenal have become countless pundits' top picks to secure the Premier League in the current campaign.
Consider their performances against West Ham and Crystal Palace in contrast with those equivalent matches in the previous campaign.
The Gunners have overcome all of them during this campaign, but surrendered 10 points across those games as they faded in the title race previously.
Impenetrable Defense
Arsenal's backline resilience is a crucial element why they are seeming ready to ultimately achieve their title goal.
They stand first for unbreached games (6), goals allowed (3), opposition efforts (72), shots on target faced (19) and xGA (5.3).
The center-back duo of Gabriel and William Saliba is arguably the strongest in the league, with Arsenal keeping a clean sheet in six of their first nine games.
Set-Piece Mastery
Their effectiveness from free kicks is widely recognized, but opposition teams still don't know how to contain 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 resulting from these situations.
"Arsenal can excel in various aspects now. The whole team has a intimidation presence. People are just afraid of them and it is excellent to see."
Title Credentials
What is particularly remarkable about Arsenal's beginning to the campaign is they have also faced 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 are struggling. 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 pressure was on head coach Mikel Arteta at the outset, having allocated around £250m on eight summer acquisitions in pursuit of that elusive first title since 2004.
But the investment has so far paid off in style, with his side one of the most prolific attacks in the league and having the strongest defense, despite several injuries.
- Unbreached games in three consecutive Premier League games
- Over six hours without conceding a goal
- Only three goals in 12 games across all competitions
Former players and pundits have described Arteta's men as a "juggernaut, looking challenging to stop" with the whole club now functioning with conviction and determination.
