Arsenal storm past Aston Villa to tighten grip on Premier League summit

Arsenal scored four second-half goals as they thumped Aston Villa to end the year five points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

Centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes, making his first start since recovering from injury in November, bundled the ball in from a trademark corner in the 48th minute to give Arsenal the lead and, despite appeals from Villa players for a foul on their goalkeeper Emi Martinez, the goal stood.

The Gunners then doubled their lead when captain Martin Odegaard won the ball back in midfield before playing an excellent pass to Martin Zubimendi, who poked the ball past Martinez.

Leandro Trossard added a third when he slammed a low shot into the net from the edge of the area after a lengthy offside check by the video assistant referee (VAR).

Substitute Gabriel Jesus ensured it was a memorable night for the Gunners when he curled in from the edge of the area, before Ollie Watkins tapped in from close range in stoppage time to give Aston Villa a consolation goal.

Villa came into the game on an 11-match winning streak, which included a 2-1 victory over the Gunners 24 days earlier, but despite starting well and going close through Watkins, they could not find a way to take the lead.

Unai Emery’s side, who were without Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara through suspension, arrived with a clear game plan to slow the tempo and frustrate Arsenal, but were unable to deny Mikel Arteta’s side an impressive win.

The victory capped an excellent year for the Gunners, who have lost just twice in the league this season, and moved five points clear ahead of second-placed Manchester City’s match at Sunderland on New Year’s Day.