‘It’s all going right for Arsenal’ – can they make it count this time?

With a narrow margin victory over Wolves, Everton, and Brighton, they were far from convincing after falling to Aston Villa in December.

However, the Gunners produced important results, and on Tuesday, they clinched a 4-1 victory at home over Villa to clear any doubts about their title hopes.

Third place was a powerful statement for any team hoping to derail their trophy ambitions because it not only kept Unai Emery’s already impressive side at bay.

Arsenal is five points clear of Manchester City in the second half of the league as of 2026, with Villa a further point behind.

Former Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin claimed on BBC Radio 5 Live that “Arsenal doing what they did to Villa tells you where they are.”

“Everyone is contributing: the manager, the players, the staff,” the manager, and the staff, and everything is going well for them.

Former England international Danny Murphy continued, “Arsenal’s performance was a big statement. It was powerful, high-quality, and thoroughly demonstrated their strength.

They finished five points ahead of Manchester City in 2023.

However, as the season came to an end, Pep Guardiola’s side were the ones who won the trophy, five points clear of the Gunners.

Similar to the 2002-2003 season, when they finished five points clear of Manchester United after finishing second at the end of December.

Therefore, there is a reason why their supporters avoid attempting to win over themselves and celebrate too early.

Ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher commented on Sky Sports, “They’ve gone almost 22 years without a league title. It’s understandable.”

“April and May are the best months to get really anxious,” he said. There is still a long way to go.

The Gunners last won the title last year during their “invincible” season, but are things finally settling in?

Boss Mikel Arteta stated to BBC Sport, “We are aware of how long this will last. It’s been an incredible 2025.

We have to earn what we want from 2026, and we are still a long way off.

The Villa victory marked Gabriel and William Saliba’s first official center-back partnership since December 8th.

Arsenal had the league’s tightest defense, conceding just 12 goals in 19 games, which is the lowest of any team, despite their star defensive duo being sidelined.

Before Brazilian Gabriel started the goal-fest, the pair put in another strong performance against Villa, scoring a consoling goal three minutes into the first half.

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy told BBC Sport, “Arsah don’t panic; they trust their defenders to play one and one and cope.”

If they win at Sunderland on Thursday, Guardiola’s side will regain two points if they defeat the Gunners. The Gunners have won the Premier League twice since Arteta took over.

Before their trip to the Emirates, Villa had an impressive 11-game winning streak, so boss Emery will assume that the defeat was merely a blip.

Carragher praised Arsenal, adding, “It’s a huge result for them in many ways.