Aston Villa’s remarkable 11-game winning streak in all competitions was brought to a halt in emphatic fashion as Premier League leaders Arsenal swept to a commanding 4-1 victory, extending their lead at the top of the table to five points with Manchester City still to play on New Year’s Day, Softfootball reports.
Arsenal came into the contest boosted by a hard-fought 2-1 win over Brighton, and they carried that momentum into the opening exchanges. With Gabriel restored to the starting XI, the Gunners looked assured early on, and nearly struck first when Piero Hincapié floated a teasing cross toward Viktor Gyökeres, though the striker’s header drifted over as he continued his wait for a first open-play goal since early November.
Villa, fresh from an impressive 2-1 victory over Chelsea that extended their winning run to 11 matches, were not without threat. Amadou Onana went close to winning a penalty after going down under William Saliba’s challenge, but referee Darren England waved play on. Ollie Watkins then squandered a promising opening after being teed up by Ezri Konsa, firing wide when well placed.
Memories of Villa’s dramatic 2-1 win over Arsenal in the fixture earlier this month briefly lingered, but their hopes of a repeat took a hit when the influential Onana was forced off injured, with John McGinn introduced in his place. The visitors struggled to regroup, and Arsenal struck shortly after the restart. Bukayo Saka’s corner caused chaos in the box, and after Emiliano Martínez spilled the ball under pressure, Gabriel reacted quickest to bundle it over the line.
Villa’s frustration deepened just five minutes later as Arsenal doubled their advantage. Martin Ødegaard nicked possession from Jadon Sancho before threading a perfectly weighted pass through to Martín Zubimendi, who showed great composure to finish clinically.
Unai Emery attempted to stem the tide with a double substitution around the hour mark, including the introduction of Donyell Malen, but Arsenal remained relentless. Leandro Trossard made it 3-0 with a powerful strike from the edge of the area, effectively putting the contest beyond doubt.
There was a brief concern for the hosts when Gabriel was forced off with injury, but his replacement, Gabriel Jesus, made an instant impact late on, curling home a superb fourth after being picked out by the impressive Trossard. Bukayo Saka went close to adding a fifth, though Arsenal were denied a clean sheet when Watkins grabbed a stoppage-time consolation.
After the game, Arsenal via its official X handle shared the post match reactions of its players in the dressing room celebrating this massive win. They posted:
The result not only reinforces Arsenal’s title credentials but also snaps Villa’s outstanding run of form, bringing their 11-match winning streak to an end and underlining the Gunners’ growing authority at the summit of the Premier League.
