LONDON, Dec 30 (Reuters) – Arsenal closed out 2025 in emphatic fashion, beating third-placed Aston Villa 4-1 on Tuesday to move five points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by Wolverhampton Wanderers, who picked up their third point of the season, while Bournemouth took a point against Chelsea, forcing a 2-2 draw after a frantic first half.

Man United are sixth, tied on 30 points with fifth-placed Chelsea.

At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal slammed the door as they charged Villa, ending their club-record 11-game winning streak.

Goals from Gabriel Magalhaes and Martin Zubimendi early in the second half put Arsenal in control of a match that looked fraught with danger.

Gabriel scored the opener from a corner in the 48th minute before Martin Odegaard slipped in a pass for Zubimendi to score four minutes later. Arsenal secured the points when Leandro Trossard shot from the edge of the area before Gabriel Jesus came off the bench to add the fourth.

Ollie Watkins scored a consolation goal for Villa in stoppage time.

“I think it was amazing,” Jesus told Sky Sports. “It’s always difficult to play against them… The mentality of the team is really, really growing and every game is growing even more and I think we win today because of the mentality.”

Arsenal top the table with 45 points, while second-placed Manchester City can close the gap when they play Sunderland on Thursday.

Villa are six points behind Arsenal.

It took six minutes at Stamford Bridge for Bournemouth to shock Chelsea when David Brooks grabbed the opener. Cole Palmer equalized from the spot in the 15th minute and Fernandez put Chelsea ahead with a shot eight minutes later.

Justin Kluivert brought Bournemouth level in the 27th minute to grab a point, adding to the London side’s unenviable record of one win in seven league matches. Chelsea are in fifth place, while Bournemouth are 10 places below them.

MAN UTD FIGHT

Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee made the most of a rare start by putting the exhausted hosts ahead with a deflected shot from the edge of the area in the 27th minute.

But Wolves managed to equalize just before the break thanks to a header from Ladislav Krejci.

Patrick Dorgu briefly celebrated what he thought was a winner in the 90th minute, but it was flagged for offside.

“We struggled the whole game,” United boss Ruben Amorim said. “We lacked creation… the offensive fluidity was not there.

“We didn’t play well. When you don’t play well with the ball, you struggle without it.”

Wolves have three points from 19 games, 15 points from the safe zone.

Newcastle United’s Joelinton scored after 65 seconds and Yoane Wissa doubled their lead five minutes later in a 3-1 defeat to 19th-placed Burnley, who are winless in their last 10 games.

Josh Laurent pulled one back in the 23rd minute, but Bruno Guimaraes sealed Newcastle’s rare away victory with an injury-time goal.

Everton moved up to eighth in the table with a 2-0 victory over former manager Sean Dyche and Nottingham Forest thanks to goals from James Garner and Thierno Barry.

West Ham United drew 2-2 with Brighton & Hove Albion in a match featuring three first-half penalties.

Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta, from the penalty spot, scored before the break for West Ham, while Brighton’s Danny Welbeck struck from the penalty spot in the 32nd minute but fired another over the crossbar.

Joel Veltman scored for Brighton in the 61st minute to secure the draw.

There are four more games on New Year’s Day, including fourth-placed Liverpool hosting Leeds United at Anfield.

(Reporting by Lori Ewing, editing by Christian Radnedge)

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