Gabriel Magalhães’ opener sparks Arsenal’s second-half rout of Aston Villa

Arsenal will begin 2026 with a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League as they continue their quest for the club’s very own holy grail, and judging by this game of two halves against putative title rivals they may need it.

A scrappy, angst-ridden opening 45 minutes was followed by a performance of complete dominance kickstarted by two goals in the space of five minutes from Gabriel Magalhães and Martín Zubimendi at the start of the second half. Leandro Trossard added a third with 20 minutes to go before the substitute Gabriel Jesus rubbed salt in Aston Villa’s wounds to compound their first defeat in 12 matches and leave them six points adrift of the leaders in third.

Arsenal had fought their way to five unconvincing wins since losing the reverse fixture to the last kick of the game at Villa Park 25 days ago, and with their title jitters growing as Manchester City have reeled off six successive victories, Mikel Arteta’s side needed a statement victory.

The result and new cushion at the top before City visit Sunderland on New Year’s Day achieved the desired outcome in style, but Arteta will not look back on the first half with any fondness. The Emirates was edgy, Viktor Gyökeres looked lightweight and profligate up front, leaving an unhappy Arteta to exchange words with the referee, Darren England, as Villa created the better chances, with two let-offs in particular afforded by Ollie Watkins.

Arsenal had missed the injured Declan Rice badly during the opening 45 minutes, with Amadou Onana able to dominate in midfield in his absence, and the Belgian’s withdrawal at half-time with a hamstring injury proved pivotal. Without Onana’s physical presence Martin Ødegaard found the space to showcase his quality, creating two goals and exuding much-needed calmness under pressure in the absence of Rice.

Such composure continues to elude Gyökeres, who contributed little other than missing the target with two first-half headers, with his return five league goals (and just two since September) looking like an extremely poor return for Arsenal’s £64m investment. Gyökeres’s shoddy finishing was further highlighted by the contribution of Jesus, who scored his first goal of the season within a minute of being introduced as he continues his rehabilitation from a cruciate knee ligament injury.

As a result, the nerves that have blighted Arsenal’s recent second-half performances came early before half-time, as Villa threatened on the counterattack. Ezri Konsa caught Gyökeres in possession and released Watkins, who shot wide at the near post, before shooting across goal from a similar position on the left after being released by another smart pass from Emiliano Buendía.

Arteta was pacing the touchline with more agitation than usual by this point midway through the first half, and with good reason. A break in play caused by a hamstring injury to Onana, who initially played on after some judicious stretching, helped Arsenal regain their equilibrium if not any fluency.

By the brink of half-time Arteta’s antics had degenerated sufficiently for England to have a quiet word, which seemed to involve the suggestion that he return to his seat, a futile act akin to asking New Year’s Eve revellers to leave the pub before midnight.

Arteta’s mood improved considerably three minutes into the second half, when Arsenal took the lead with the kind of scrappy goal that is becoming their trademark.

Four of Arsenal’s past six goals had been own goals and this was another festive gift, with Emiliano Martínez spilling Bukayo Saka’s corner under pressure from Gabriel, who headed in from close range. The video assistant referee, Jarred Gillett, took a close look as Gabriel’s arm was raised and close to his former teammate’s face, but correctly took no action.

Arsenal’s second goal five minutes later showcased their other qualities, coming from high pressing and impish attacking play. Ødegaard dispossessed Jadon Sancho and fed his namesake Zubimendi, who beat Martínez with a clinical finish with the outside of his right foot to spark delirium tinged with relief.

Villa’s remarkable run of 11 successive victories had included five straight wins from losing positions away from home, but they did not threaten a fightback on this occasion, a failure of nerve that will leave major questions over whether they can continue to gatecrash the two-horse title race.

Trossard made sure of the points after Lucas Digne had failed to clear Ødegaard’s cross from the left in the 69th minute, while 10 minutes later the Belgian created the fourth for Jesus, who beat Martínez with a curling shot.

Watkins fired an injury-time consolation into an open goal from two yards, but his pivotal contribution had come in the first half, spurning two good chances when Arsenal were wobbling.

Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth, who are without a win in 10 games, may be just what Arsenal need to calm their nerves further.