Arsenal ensured it will end the year top of the Premier League after beating Aston Villa 4-1 at home in a powerful statement win on Tuesday with all goals scored in the second half.
The fourth goal, scored by substitute Gabriel Jesus one minute after coming on, highlighted the depth of Arsenal’s bench this season and coach Mikel Arteta jubilantly high-fived his assistants at the final whistle.
Victory moved Arsenal five points ahead of Manchester City, which plays at Sunderland on New Year’s Day, and six points clear of third-place Villa.
“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 broadcaster Sky Sports. “The way we started the second half was amazing, we really turned things up and were efficient in everything that we did.”
Arsenal has not won the Premier League since 2004 and the pressure is on Arteta to deliver.
“In 2026, we know what we want,” Arteta said.
Villa manager Unai Emery later defended his decision not to shake Arteta’s hand at the end of the game by saying it was “cold” at the Emirates.
“Always my routine is go to the opposition coach, shake hands and go inside,” the former Arsenal manager told Sky Sports. “If he is not doing the same rule, I can’t wait … it was cold.”
Elsewhere, Chelsea drew 2-2 at home to Bournemouth; Newcastle won 3-1 at lowly Burnley; and Manchester United was held 1-1 at home to rock-bottom Wolverhampton.
Struggling West Ham drew 2-2 with visiting Brighton, and Everton won 2-0 at Nottingham Forest.
Sharing the goals
No Arsenal player is near the top of the scorers’ charts this season, yet sharing the goals around might just be the team’s strength.
Defender Gabriel Magalhães headed home early in the second half following a corner for set-piece specialist Arsenal, and midfielder Martín Zubimendi netted in the 52nd minute.
Winger Leandro Trossard curled in a fine third from the edge of the penalty area in the 69th and was involved in the fourth goal, curled into the same corner from almost the same spot in the 78th minute by Jesus after Arsenal had launched a superb counterattack from deep.
The win was even more impressive considering Arsenal was missing key midfielder Declan Rice with a knee injury and Villa was playing on the back of 11 straight victories in all competitions.
Gabriel nodded in from close range and was deemed not to have impeded Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez with his elbow.
Zubimendi finished confidently after captain Martin Ødegaard expertly won the ball in midfield and advanced before threading a perfect ball behind Villa’s defense.
Ollie Watkins grabbed an injury-time consolation for Villa.
Poor defending costs Chelsea
Bournemouth’s David Brooks netted early from close range after Chelsea failed to deal with a throw-in from the right.
Cole Palmer equalized in the 15th with a penalty awarded after a video review ruled that Antoine Semenyo’s knee had gone into the back of forward Estevão’s leg.
Midfielder Enzo Fernández gave Chelsea the lead midway through the first half, but Chelsea gifted Bournemouth an equalizer when a defender headed on a throw-in from the left and Justin Kluivert scored at the back post for 2-2.
Chelsea is fifth and level on 30 points with United in sixth.
United held by Wolves
Manchester United led through Joshua Zirkzee’s deflected strike in the 27th but Ladislav Krejčí equalized close to halftime for Wolves with a powerful downward header.
It was Wolves manager Rob Edwards’ first point since taking charge in November.
Patrick Dorgu’s injury-time goal for United was ruled out for offside by VAR.
Boos at the final whistle by United fans contrasted with Wolves supporters’ chants of “We’ve won a point.”
Wissa scores for Newcastle
Yoane Wissa grabbed his first league goal since joining from Brentford as Newcastle moved into 10th spot.
Newcastle was 2-0 up inside seven minutes with Joelinton being set up from the left wing by Anthony Gordon and Wissa bundling in from close range following a goalmouth scramble.
Josh Laurent pulled a goal back for Burnley midway through the first half. Newcastle survived nervy moments before Bruno Guimarães sealed the win with an expert lob in stoppage time.
Next-to-last Burnley is two points behind West Ham in 18th.
Garner and Paquetá shine
Everton netted in the 19th when James Garner drilled in a low finish after being set up down the right by Dwight McNeil.
Garner then turned neatly in midfield before feeding Thierno Barry with a defense-splitting pass to make it 2-0 against Forest in the 79th.
West Ham took an early lead against Brighton when striker Jarrod Bowen latched onto Lucas Paquetá’s exquisite through ball from halfway and struck a low shot into the bottom corner.
Veteran forward Danny Welbeck equalized for Brighton from the penalty spot for his eighth goal of the season, and then hit the crossbar with a Panenka-style chipped penalty later in the first half.
Paquetá converted his spot kick with a staggered run-up in first-half injury time, but Joël Veltman equalized for Brighton in the 61st following a corner.
Defending champion Liverpool hosts Leeds on Thursday.
___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
