We dismantled Aston Villa to end 2025 on a high note as we clinched a 4-1 victory at Emirates Stadium.
Gabriel Magalhaes, Martin Zubimendi, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus all found the net in a stunning second half as we ended the calendar year top of the table.
But how did we outgun the Villains in N5? Adrian Clarke has dived into the detail to explain what went down on another big night in N5.
Read more Highlights: Arsenal 4-1 Aston Villa
winning the midfield battle
Hostile, well-coordinated pressing was at the heart of this terrific victory – especially during a magnificent second-half performance.
At times during the opening 45 minutes, we did not get tight enough to Aston Villa’s man on the ball to prevent them playing quality forward passes, but all that changed after the interval when we got into the opposition’s faces with greater intensity.
Our central midfield trio of Martin Zubimendi, Mikel Merino and Martin Odegaard squeezed up, working in closer proximity, and together they regained possession in good areas on numerous occasions.
We saw this ahead of a brilliant second goal scored by Zubimendi.
A ferocious counter-press saw Odegaard steal the ball before breaking at speed, eventually slipping the Spaniard into the box with an exquisitely weighted pass.
There were numerous occasions where we forced regains inside the Villa half, with many of them leading to goalscoring opportunities.
This chalkboard shows the tackles, interceptions and ball recoveries made by Odegaard, Merino and Zubimendi.
Inside Villa territory, down the central spine, we were exceptionally strong in a ball-winning capacity.
stellar from the skipper
As you can see on that defensive chalkboard above, Odegaard (No.8) was brilliant at winning the ball back down the middle of the pitch.
No one made more ball recoveries than him, on an evening where he also enjoyed more touches and shots than any other Gunners player.
Martin Odegaard by numbers
Stats
Total
AFC Rank
Shots
5
1st
Shots in box
4
1st
Touches
65
1st
Passes into the final third
23
1st
Possession won
6
1st
Chances Created
3
Joint 1st
Staying central, rather than habitually shifting right, he was always heavily involved – and Odegaard was also unlucky not to score from a turnover himself, when Emi Martinez tipped his shot past the post in the second half.
Our Norwegian star was at his best once again, backing up a classy display against Brighton, with another influential outing.
Read more 42 incredible photos from our Aston Villa win
risk and reward
Despite the high stakes, Mikel Arteta’s tactical approach could not have been any bolder.
From start to finish the manager encouraged his players to push forward and attack, even if that meant leaving the defenders 1v1, 2v2, or 3v3 from breakaways.
Early on, we survived some major scares on the counterattack, with Villa racing forward at brake neck speed to try and catch us out.
But we persisted with our adventurous tactics, doubling down on them in the second half to force mistakes from Unai Emery’s men.
Leandro Trossard’s goal was a fine example of this.
From a partially cleared cross, we smothered Villa inside their own box by pushing EIGHT outfield players into that domain, with Gabriel Maghalaes and William Saliba the only men back.
When you analyse the goal, this bravery was clearly rewarded because it was Jurrien Timber who won the ball back on the edge of the box, teeing up Trossard to whip home a gorgeous low finish.
Had the Dutchman not been there, this strike would not have happened.
Our attacking stats were very strong once again.
In terms of our shots and expected goal tallies, they were the second highest we have produced in 2025/26, narrowly behind the numbers delivered last time out in a 2-1 success against the Seagulls.
In creating six big chances, we also registered a season-high against opponents who had won 11 matches in a row in all competitions.
Arsenal v Aston Villa: Stats
Stats
Total
Season Rank
Expected Goals
3.04
2nd
Shots
22
2nd
Shots in the box
17
2nd
Big Chances
6
1st
So, although we lived dangerously on occasion, giving up some big chances at the other end of the pitch, our proactive tactics bore fruit in spectacular fashion.
Read more Watch all 90 minutes from our win over Aston Villa
incredible industry
Despite a heavy workload in recent weeks, we were able to produce another high-intensity display, full of running.
In the absence of Declan Rice, some may have been concerned about our athletic capacity, but the fitness levels of all involved shone brightly.
On and off the ball we worked seriously hard to make life difficult for Villa.
The running stats show that we covered a much greater distance, as well as making considerably more sprints and intensive runs.
Arsenal v Aston Villa: Stats
MW19
Arsenal
Aston Villa
Distance Covered
111.31
103.53
Sprints
131
116
Intensive Runs
2939
2605
We know that this group of players are hungry for success, and that desire was reflected in the data they produced.
big gabi and Leo Step up again
Every player should feel proud of how they performed in this encounter, especially in the second half, but two of our most consistently reliable players came up trumps again.
Leandro Trossard scored a fine goal before assisting Gabriel Jesus for a beautiful fourth goal, capping a tremendous team move that began deep inside our own box.
In setting up the Brazilian, Trossard made it 19 direct goal involvements in 2025, scoring ten times and assisting on nine occasions.
That is a team-high figure.
On his return to the starting XI, Gabrial Maghalaes also made his mark, scoring from yet another corner kick.
Outmuscling Emi Martinez from Bukayo Saka’s inswinger, the centre back notched his 19th goal for the club; the most by any Premier League defender since he joined in 2020.
It was also our 17th goal from a corner in 2025, which is the second highest figure on record during a calendar year in the Premier League.
But while that breakthrough goal was undeniably the catalyst for this famous win, it was Arsenal’s second half drive, persistence, courage and skill that paved the way for three big points.
It was a fabulous way to round off a cracking year for the team.
Read more Watch our best goals of 2025
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