Arsenal moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League after a 4-1 win over Aston Villa, finishing the year in first place for the seventh time, level with Manchester United and Liverpool, as Mikel Arteta praised a clinical second-half performance at Emirates Stadium.
The third-placed visitors troubled Arsenal before the break, but Arteta’s team raised the tempo after half-time, dominated territory and punished Aston Villa with sharper finishing, extending a strong run of form and underlining their title challenge ahead of a trip to Bournemouth at the weekend.
Arsenal’s breakthrough came three minutes after the restart, when Gabriel Magalhaes marked a return from almost six weeks out with a hamstring injury by converting a corner, before
Martin Zubimendi reacted quickly four minutes later to stab in the second and tilt the contest firmly towards the hosts.
Leandro Trossard added a composed finish to stretch the advantage, then Gabriel Jesus produced another precise strike that left Aston Villa out of contention, while Ollie Watkins pulled one back late on after John McGinn had earlier been denied from close range by goalkeeper David Raya.
Arteta was pleased with the way Arsenal adjusted during the match, after a nervous start against opponents who regularly threatened on the counter-attack and twice beat the early press, but the manager highlighted how control, patience and smarter structure in possession gradually pushed Aston Villa deeper.
"It is a beautiful evening. That was a very tough match, as we knew it would be, because they are a top opponent to play against," Arteta told Sky Sports. "The first 10 minutes were a bit shaky, and we had to adjust things, but credit to them because they managed to break our press twice and were able to run, which they are very dangerous at.
"After that, we grabbed the game, and we were creating the chances. The way we started the second half was amazing; we really turned things up and were efficient in everything that we did. We had to be really meticulous and understand the timing at which we were doing everything.
"It's a big credit to my players because, against this team, it isn't easy. We have created a lot of chances in the last few weeks, but we saw the difference today. We needed scrappy goals to win other games,but the quality of our finishing was top and made the difference. "
Arsenal Premier League set-piece threat and key statistic
Set pieces again played a major role, with Gabriel’s opener continuing a pattern that has made Arsenal one of the league’s most efficient dead-ball teams, a strength highlighted by Opta figures showing consistent output across consecutive seasons from corners and free-kick situations.
20 - Arsenal are just the second team to score 20+ set piece goals (ex. penalties) in consecutive years in the Premier League (21 in 2024, 20 in 2025), after Wimbledon between 1993 and 1996. Perfected. pic.twitter.com/ccshierXvZOptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 30, 2025
That data underlined Arsenal’s repeated success from rehearsed routines, with 21 set-piece goals in 2024 and 20 in 2025, excluding penalties, making them only the second side, after Wimbledon between 1993 and 1996, to reach 20 or more in successive Premier League campaigns.
Arsenal Premier League win comes despite Declan Rice absence
Arsenal achieved the result without Declan Rice, who missed the game after a knock picked up in the 2-1 victory over Brighton on Saturday, and Arteta explained that the midfielder’s issue related to a heavy blow rather than a more complex fitness concern.
"Declan got a big kick in his knee during the match [against Brighton], at the start of the match actually, and by the time he finished the match, he had a massive swell up. I hope that when the swelling comes out, he can function [and] he will be fine. "
Arteta stressed that Rice’s problem was expected to be short term, and the club would monitor the swelling before deciding on involvement in the upcoming Bournemouth fixture, with Arsenal keen to avoid longer-term risks during a demanding Premier League period.
Arsenal Premier League leaders boosted by Gabriel’s early return
There was further encouragement for Arsenal in defence, as Gabriel delivered a strong performance on his comeback after missing nine matches, returning earlier than first predicted and handling long spells marking Aston Villa forward Ollie Watkins, who has been one of the league’s most effective strikers.
"He came back after six weeks out, which should've probably been eight weeks out, but he came back earlier," said Arteta. "He composed himself against probably one of the best strikers in the league, who is very hard to mark. I thought he was tremendous. "
Arsenal’s victory, secured with improved second-half intensity, accurate finishing and another set-piece goal, strengthened their Premier League position, matched a record for ending a calendar year in first place and offered optimism over key injuries as attention now shifts towards maintaining momentum into the next run of fixtures.
