Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the English Premier League to five points with a 4-1 victory over Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium.
All the goals came in the second half, as the Gunners delivered a commanding performance against their title rivals.
Villa had chances to take the lead in the first half, with Ollie Watkins missing the clearest opportunity when he fired wide after a quick counter-attack. Viktor Gyokeres also threatened twice with headers, but neither side managed to score before half-time.
The visitors looked poised to continue a 12-match winning streak in all competitions at the Emirates, where manager Unai Emery once worked.
READ ALSO: Super Eagles’ bad defence nearly ruins Tunisia win
Arsenal, however, came out after the break with renewed intensity and struck twice within seven minutes. Gabriel Magalhaes opened the scoring in the 48th minute, heading in after Emiliano Martinez failed to deal with the delivery effectively. Martin Zubimendi then doubled the lead with an outside-of-the-boot finish from Martin Ødegaard’s pass.
Leandro Trossard added a third in the 69th minute with a superb first-time strike that survived a VAR check for offside. Gabriel Jesus sealed the win with a fourth goal just 55 seconds after coming off the bench in the 78th minute.
Villa pulled one back in stoppage time when Watkins converted after Donyell Malen struck the post. Earlier, Malen had hit the woodwork himself, while John McGinn also missed a clear chance for the visitors.
Arsenal will head into 2026 with a comfortable lead at the summit, though Manchester City could narrow the gap to two points when they face Sunderland on New Year’s Day.
