Premier League leaders Arsenal enjoyed ‘a beautiful evening’ as they thrashed in-form Aston Villa 4-1 to go five points clear at the top of the table.
Mikel Arteta’s side were up against it at times in the first 45 minutes but produced a thrilling second-half display to rout Villa and underline their title credentials.
Goals from Gabriel, Martin Zubimendi, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus sent Arsena to a huge win to leave Arteta purring heading into 2026.
He said: “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.
“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 today the quality of our finishing was top and made the difference.”
Manchester City, in second place, face Sunderland away on New Year’s Day.
“It got difficult because they are such a good team,” said Villa forward Morgan Rogers.
“They are where they are in the league for a reason. They are relentless and they just keep going. I thought we were really good in the first half, we were really proud of how we played. On another day we might’ve created one more clear-cut chance to maybe go in front, but they were really solid and really good. In the second half, they just kept the pressure on and it’s really tough to come to a place like this. We knew we would have to ride our luck but they were just too clinical – sometimes that happens.
“Nothing really changed on either side in the second half, but once you get that opening goal then the momentum comes with it. When you’re 1-0 up then you get more confidence and play more freely, that’s definitely what happened for them. When the goals started coming thick and fast, you knew it was done.
“It’s nothing bad to lose 4-1 to the best team in the league at the moment. We just have to dust ourselves down and be proud of the winning run we’ve been on.”