Arsenal will begin 2026 with a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League as they continue their quest for the club’s very own holy grail, and judging by this game of two halves against putative title rivals they may need it.
A scrappy, angst-ridden opening 45 minutes was followed by a performance of complete dominance kickstarted by two goals in the space of five minutes from Gabriel Magalhães and Martín Zubimendi at the start of the second half. Leandro Trossard added a third with 20 minutes to go before the substitute Gabriel Jesus rubbed salt in Aston Villa’s wounds to compound their first defeat in 12 matches and leave them six points adrift of the leaders in third.
Continue reading...
