Arsenal heading for easy Premier League title win after 'statement' victory against Aston Villa, says Paul Merson
Sky Sports' Paul Merson on Soccer Special: "I think they win the Premier League quite easily after dismantling Aston Villa. "It was a statement result and Man City will have been watching. They will be thinking wow after that from Arsenal."
Thursday 1 January 2026 09:22, UK
Paul Merson believes Arsenal will go on to win the Premier League easily after they blew in-form Aston Villa away with a "statement" 4-1 win at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners, who were without the injured Declan Rice, scored four times in a rampant second-half display to end Premier League title rivals Villa's club-equalling 11-match winning streak.
"It felt like more than three points, psychologically," said Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher.
After scraping past Wolves, Everton and Brighton in their previous three fixtures, Arsenal were far from their fluent best against Villa in a first half where the weight of expectation of ending a 22-year wait for a title appeared to be hanging over them.
But they came alive after the break with a performance which will serve as a warning to Manchester City ahead of their match against Sunderland on New Year's Day, live on Sky Sports (kick-off 8pm).
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"It was an outstanding 30 minutes from Arsenal in the second half," Merson said on Soccer Special. "They suffocated Aston Villa and made them look pretty average in the end.
"It's a massive result for Arsenal.
"There have been a couple of results where they have just fallen over the line against Wolves and Brighton. They were tight games but up against the most in-form team in country, if not Europe, and Arsenal have dismantled them."
He added: "With the lead having been two points a draw against Villa and a Man City win on New Year's Day, Pep Guardiola's side would go top. But now, they have a five-point lead, and they have three extra goals because goal difference will be important with it being so tight.
"Looking at Arsenal, with the away fixtures they have already played and this result against Villa, I don't know who will stop them. They play all the big teams apart from Man City at home and playing like that, it's hard to see them being stopped.
"I think they win the Premier League quite easily.
"It was a statement result and Man City will have been watching. They will be thinking wow after that from Arsenal."
Jesus: We won because of mentality
After a goalless first half, the home side were ahead inside three minutes of the second period when Emiliano Martinez flapped at Bukayo Saka's corner and the ball rolled in off Gabriel's thigh.
Arsenal doubled their advantage on 52 minutes after Martin Zubimendi converted Martin Odegaard's exquisite defence-splitting pass, with Leandro Trossard scoring from long range after 69 minutes to put the game firmly out of Villa's reach.
Gabriel Jesus then netted his first goal since New Year's Day just moments after coming on as a substitute before Ollie Watkins scored a consolation for the visitors in injury time.
The impressive victory was the perfect tonic for Mikel Arteta's players against a team that dealt them a stoppage-time 2-1 defeat at Villa Park just 24 days ago.
"It was amazing," Jesus told Sky Sports.
"It's always hard to play against Villa. They come here at all times and try to hurt us.
"At the start you could see they were trying to delay the game. But we won because of the mentality."
Arteta: 'Sacrifices and commitment' paying off in title push
Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal's sacrifices are starting to pay off with his team guaranteed to start 2026 in control of the Premier League title race.
The Gunners will head into the New Year at the top of the table following the emphatic win over Villa as the north London team bid to end their 22-year wait for a title.
And when asked if the victory against Unai Emery's in-form Villa fuels belief in his squad that this could finally be their season, Arteta replied: "It's belief, and it's energy as well because they put in so much.
"We're playing every two and a half days, the schedule is very, very demanding, we have some very tough matches and injuries but the players are still winning, so winning helps all that.
"All the sacrifices and commitment that you put in gets reflected in results and great performances and that's so satisfying, but we know there's still so much to play for.
"It's a great way to end the year, that's for sure. We'll have a good night with our families [on New Year's Eve], but then the next day we are in, and we have to go to Bournemouth [on Saturday], and we know what that means."
What's next for Arsenal?
The Gunners travel to Bournemouth on Saturday, live on Sky Sports; kick-off 5.30pm.
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They then end their festive set of fixtures with a home game against Liverpool, also live on Sky Sports on Thursday January 8; kick-off 8pm.
