This win will likely be one they look back on in May. Facing an in-form side in the Premier League who are back in north London after eight nail-biting wins, Arsenal beat a jovial Aston Villa side in a sensational 30-minute four-goal blitz at the Emirates Stadium. At the end of 2025, Mikel Arteta jubilantly made his most important statement yet on the sidelines.
What message does this send to Manchester City? An emphatic one. Arsenal fans have been nervous watching late games in recent weeks, desperate to make this season better than any other, their Premier League season. It’s a fitting test of their title credentials under the lights: the most in-form players in the league. Unai Emery’s former manager smells the 24-day double. But my God, how they responded.
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When does Arsenal’s – let’s call it that – incredible set-piece machine run out of energy? Of course not yet. You can take Mickey away all you want from the hand-waving antics of set-piece coach Nicholas Joffe, but the end result was shocking. Corner kicks alone accounted for 17 goals throughout the year. Two minutes after the break, good work in the box from the returning Gabriel (how they missed him) set up former Gunner Emiliano Martinez to receive the ball in the air. From that point on, it was one-way traffic.
Gabriel celebrates scoring his first goal for Arsenal (Arsenal Football Club via Getty Images)
Martin Zubimendi scored a brace soon after, scoring a goal with a run from deep that you actually associated with the absent Declan Rice, before Leonardo Trossard and Gabriel Jesus capped off a brilliant night for the 60,000 spectators.
They will be delighted to go into the new year with a five-point lead over Manchester City with a game in hand and now a six-point lead over Villa. They will now be dreaming of all the gold and confetti that will come in May.
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From the typical lively pre-game light show, fireworks and pyrotechnics to the early angry roars from the home fans, it always felt like this was a monumental moment. At the very least, it must have been significant in late December, just three weeks after their last league meeting, when Emi Buendia’s thrilling late winner at Villa Park brought six Arsenal players to their knees. I won’t repeat it here.
With Rice out with a knee injury, much of the discussion has centered on Ollie Watkins’ recent performance following his brace against Chelsea. Yet 13 minutes later, the England international squandered a superb early opportunity when he meekly passed the ball wide after Ezri Konsa’s perfect delivery – Arsenal’s £64m striker Victor Chokres was robbed on the midfield line.
Joe Kress himself created some good chances in the first half, with a tenacious and skilful Villa side head-kicking a few meters wide in an early salvo before holding firm. Amadou Onana impressed in the first half but was forced off after taking a knock at half-time, while midfielder Morgan Rogers, who has been the standout performer in the league so far, showed his talent.
At half-time, jeers erupted around the stadium, mixed with frustration at the tactical deadlock and annoyance at several refereeing calls.
Martin Zubimendi made it two with a poke (John Walton/PA Wire)
Unai Emery sees Aston Villa’s winning streak end (Reuters)
But as it turns out, all they needed was a corner. Two minutes after half-time in their first game, Martinez feebly tried to hold on to the ball and Gabriel – making his first start since November – was the inevitable beneficiary, with the ball eventually slipping from his thigh. The VAR review was quickly dismissed; it was just a goalkeeping error.
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Five minutes later, like his goalkeeper, Jadon Sancho looked too weak for a challenge. Martin Odegaard enjoyed his best performance of the season here as he robbed the Villa winger before lovely passing the ball to his midfield partner Zubimendy, who scored ahead of Martinez.
Worse was to come as Villa was shelled and completely lost at sea after a sensational five-minute storm.
With their tails fully up and wagging, Arsenal were now purring and after Odegaard saw his shot deflected Trossard sweetly swept the ball home to make it three points – three points that undoubtedly fell into Arteta’s pocket despite a lengthy VAR review.
Substitute Gabriel Jesus provided the icing on the cake, curling the ball home beautifully on his first touch before taking off his shirt to reveal an ‘I Belong to Jesus’ vest. As if there was any doubt.
Leonardo Trossard scored Arsenal’s third goal (Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus celebrates scoring his fourth goal (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)
Bukayo Saka had two five-point chances before Watkins scored a late consolation for Villa when he scored an empty-net goal after a wild run from Donyell Malen. But it doesn’t matter.
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“We are at the top of the league,” they sang from the stands. Regardless of City’s performance against Sunderland on New Year’s Day, they finish top of the table in the midfield period. Perhaps 2026 could be, or even should be, the year these Arsenal supporters have longed for.
