Mikel Arteta issued a bold message to Premier League rivals after Arsenal delivered a commanding 4-1 victory over Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on December 30, 2025, extending their lead at the summit to five points.
The Gunners exploded into the second half with four goals, turning a tense encounter into a rout and halting Villa’s remarkable 11-match winning streak across all competitions.
Gabriel Magalhães broke the deadlock in the 48th minute, capitalising on a mishandled corner by Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. Martín Zubimendi doubled the advantage just four minutes later, before Leandro Trossard (69th) and substitute Gabriel Jesus (78th) sealed the emphatic win. Ollie Watkins netted a late consolation in stoppage time for the visitors.
Arteta, speaking post-match, described the performance as proof of Arsenal’s title credentials after three consecutive runner-up finishes. “It has been a great 2025 on a personal and professional level. In 2026, we know what we want. We will have to work really hard for it every single day, but I think we are on the right tracks for it,” he said.
The Spanish manager praised his side’s ruthless second-half display: “The way we started the second half was amazing. We really turned things up and were efficient in everything that we did.” He highlighted the quality of finishing, contrasting it with recent scrappy wins, and lauded Gabriel’s return from injury for neutralising Watkins effectively.
This result avenged an earlier December defeat to Villa and marked Arsenal’s biggest margin of victory against a top-three side since 2023. As of December 31, 2025, Arsenal sit atop the table with a five-point cushion over second-placed Manchester City, who have a game in hand against Sunderland on January 1, and six points clear of third-placed Villa.
Unai Emery, Villa’s manager and Arteta’s predecessor at Arsenal, pointed to Martínez’s error and an injury to Amadou Onana as key turning points. He downplayed a missed post-match handshake, joking that it was “too cold” to wait while Arteta celebrated.
The victory caps a strong 2025 for Arsenal, who also lead their UEFA Champions League group. With the January transfer window open, attention now turns to potential reinforcements as they chase a first Premier League title since 2004.
