Without some of their best players as Declan Rice missed out with a knee injury, Arsenal were able to go five points clear atop the Premier League after defeating Aston Villa 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium with a four-minute double from Gabriel and Martin Zubimendi.

It now appears to be unlikely that Manchester City will invest in a new right-sided full-back during the January transfer window.City are expected to complete the signing of Bournemouth’s Antoine

Arsenal come into this game on the back of a nervy 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, which saw them retain their two-point lead over City at the top of the table. Villa, meanwhile, needed a brace from substitute Ollie Watkins, to notch up a comeback 2-1 win away to Chelsea, thus extending their winning run to 11 games.

Premier League leaders Arsenal host third-place Aston Villa on Tuesday in a vital match in the title race. Unai Emery’s side, who are just three points behind the London club in the table, are in sensational form and a victory at the Emirates Stadium would be their 12th in a row in all competitions.

Arsenal slipped up against Aston Villa earlier in the season, but Mikel Arteta is trying to turn this into a positive.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes his side are starting to see the benefits of their hard work as the Gunners head into 2026 at the top of the Premier League. Tuesday's emphatic 4-1 win at home to title rivals Aston Villa left Arsenal five points clear of second-placed Manchester City,