Arsenal will end the year top of the Premier League after 4-1 statement win over Villa

Arsenal ensured it will end the year top of the Premier League after beating Aston Villa 4-1 at home in a powerful statement win on Tuesday with all goals scored in the second half.

The fourth goal, scored by substitute Gabriel Jesus one minute after coming on, highlighted the depth of Arsenal's bench this season and coach Mikel Arteta jubilantly high-fived his assistants at the final whistle.

Victory moved Arsenal five points ahead of Manchester City, which plays at Sunderland on New Year's Day, and six points clear of third-place Villa.

“It is a beautiful evening. That was a very tough match, as we knew it would be, because they are a top opponent to play against,” Arteta told broadcaster Sky Sports. “The way we started the second half was amazing, we really turned things up and were efficient in everything that we did.”

Arsenal has not won the Premier League since 2004 and the pressure is on Arteta to deliver.

“In 2026, we know what we want,” Arteta said.

Villa manager Unai Emery later defended his decision not to shake Arteta’s hand at the end of the game by saying it was “cold” at the Emirates.

“Always my routine is go to the opposition coach, shake hands and go inside,” the former Arsenal manager told Sky Sports. “If he is not doing the same rule, I can’t wait ... it was cold.”

Elsewhere, Chelsea drew 2-2 at home to Bournemouth; Newcastle won 3-1 at lowly Burnley; and Manchester United was held 1-1 at home to rock-bottom Wolverhampton.

Struggling West Ham drew 2-2 with visiting Brighton, and Everton won 2-0 at Nottingham Forest.

No Arsenal player is near the top of the scorers’ charts this season, yet sharing the goals around might just be the team’s strength.

Defender Gabriel Magalhães headed home early in the second half following a corner for set-piece specialist Arsenal, and midfielder Martín Zubimendi netted in the 52nd minute.

Winger Leandro Trossard curled in a fine third from the edge of the penalty area in the 69th and was involved in the fourth goal, curled into the same corner from almost the same spot in the 78th minute by Jesus after Arsenal had launched a superb counterattack from deep.

The win was even more impressive considering Arsenal was missing key midfielder Declan Rice with a knee injury and Villa was playing on the back of 11 straight victories in all competitions.

Gabriel nodded in from close range and was deemed not to have impeded Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez with his elbow.

Zubimendi finished confidently after captain Martin Ødegaard expertly won the ball in midfield and advanced before threading a perfect ball behind Villa’s defense.

Ollie Watkins grabbed an injury-time consolation for Villa.

Bournemouth's David Brooks netted early from close range after Chelsea failed to deal with a throw-in from the right.

Cole Palmer equalized in the 15th with a penalty awarded after a video review ruled that Antoine Semenyo’s knee had gone into the back of forward Estevão’s leg.

Midfielder Enzo Fernández gave Chelsea the lead midway through the first half, but Chelsea gifted Bournemouth an equalizer when a defender headed on a throw-in from the left and Justin Kluivert scored at the back post for 2-2.

Chelsea is fifth and level on 30 points with United in sixth.

Manchester United led through Joshua Zirkzee’s deflected strike in the 27th but Ladislav Krejčí equalized close to halftime for Wolves with a powerful downward header.

It was Wolves manager Rob Edwards' first point since taking charge in November.

Patrick Dorgu’s injury-time goal for United was ruled out for offside by VAR.

Boos at the final whistle by United fans contrasted with Wolves supporters' chants of “We’ve won a point.”

Yoane Wissa grabbed his first league goal since joining from Brentford as Newcastle moved into 10th spot.

Newcastle was 2-0 up inside seven minutes with Joelinton being set up from the left wing by Anthony Gordon and Wissa bundling in from close range following a goalmouth scramble.

Josh Laurent pulled a goal back for Burnley midway through the first half. Newcastle survived nervy moments before Bruno Guimarães sealed the win with an expert lob in stoppage time.

Next-to-last Burnley is two points behind West Ham in 18th.

Everton netted in the 19th when James Garner drilled in a low finish after being set up down the right by Dwight McNeil.

Garner then turned neatly in midfield before feeding Thierno Barry with a defense-splitting pass to make it 2-0 against Forest in the 79th.

West Ham took an early lead against Brighton when striker Jarrod Bowen latched onto Lucas Paquetá’s exquisite through ball from halfway and struck a low shot into the bottom corner.

Veteran forward Danny Welbeck equalized for Brighton from the penalty spot for his eighth goal of the season, and then hit the crossbar with a Panenka-style chipped penalty later in the first half.

Paquetá converted his spot kick with a staggered run-up in first-half injury time, but Joël Veltman equalized for Brighton in the 61st following a corner.

Defending champion Liverpool hosts Leeds on Thursday.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Manchester United's Joshua Zirkzee celebrates after he scored the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers in Manchester, England, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

Chelsea's Joao Pedro, top, helps Wesley Fofana stand up after the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Bournemouth in London, England, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Arsenal's Gabriel, left, celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Aston Villa in London, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP photo/Alastair Grant)

Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Aston Villa in London, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP photo/Alastair Grant)

Arsenal's Martin Zubimendi celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Aston Villa in London, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. (AP photo/Alastair Grant)

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Brad Marchand's first NHL point came just 26 seconds into the second period of his first game with the Boston Bruins. It seemed very easy, so easy that he was certain he'd be all over the scoresheets on a regular basis.

Oops. Nearly a full year passed before his second NHL point.

“After the first, I'm like, ‘Oh, this, it’s not too hard,'” Marchand said. “But I had a pretty rude awakening after that. You just see how hard it is every night to play in this league.”

He has never forgotten the lessons that came after that first point, what it was like to go scoreless in 21 consecutive games, how it felt to get sent down from Boston to the team's minor league affiliate in nearby Providence. And they were still in mind Tuesday night, when the Florida Panthers — who acquired him in a trade last season — paid tribute to Marchand joining the NHL's 1,000-point club in a pregame ceremony before playing host to the Montreal Canadiens.

Marchand hit the milestone more than a month ago; the Panthers let him and his family choose when they wanted to have the ceremony, and this game was the pick. Flowers were presented to Marchand's wife and mother, gold mini-sticks were presented to his three children. The NHL sent a Tiffany crystal to present to Marchand, and he got a commemorative gold stick and plaque from Panthers hockey operations president and general manager Bill Zito as well.

Several NHL coaches and players sent video tributes as well, including many of his former Bruins teammates as well as Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby. “Super proud of you,” former Bruins teammate Zdeno Chara said.

Marchand watched the ceremony from a corner of the ice, surrounded by family.

“I have all my family in town,” Marchand said. “These are moments throughout your career that don't happen often. It's a great opportunity to celebrate things that I definitely never thought would ever become possible. ... It's a great opportunity for everyone to enjoy a very special thing.”

Getting to 1,000 points is a testament to plenty of things, his longevity included. Marchand had 100 points in a season exactly once; he's basically been just about a point-a-game guy for the entirety of his 17-year career.

“It's just such a large milestone to hit,” Marchand said. “Your dream is to play a game in the NHL. I never really thought about what it takes to get to this point. You hope to play and then stay. That's all you're really worried about is just trying to stay and hold onto it for as long as you can. Even when I was 10 years in I didn't think that this was possible.”

Panthers coach Paul Maurice often tells a story of last season's playoffs, a first-round game at Tampa Bay where Florida was down 5-1 late in Game 3 of that series. Everyone was ready for Game 4, except Marchand, who was shouting encouragement to teammates and trying to get a comeback try started.

No rally happened, but what Marchand did that night still resonates with his coach.

“He’s not 25 anymore," Maurice said of the 37-year-old Marchand. "What he’s been able to do, the consistency of his game, has been incredibly impressive. I think you’ll find, older players, when they get into the playoffs, can find another level, but October through Christmas, sometimes they may not. The juice is hard to find. But not for him.”

It was fitting that the ceremony came with Montreal in town; the Canadiens were a huge rival for Marchand for all those years he spent with the Boston Bruins, and coach Martin St. Louis — another pesky, diminutive forward who just knew how to put pucks in nets, just like Marchand — is one of the Panthers' star's idols.

“It's always a special team to play,” Marchand said. “And it's pretty cool to have Marty on the bench, being my favorite player growing up.”

Marchand got the first 976 points of his career with the Bruins. He joined Florida in a trade that shocked many — especially given how the Bruins and Panthers had developed a playoff rivalry in recent years — late last season. The Panthers went on to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup, which was the second Cup of Marchand’s career as well.

And Tuesday was the Panthers' final game before the calendar flips to 2026. By any measure, 2025 — with the trade, a Cup and a milestone point — was a year for Marchand to remember.

“It was a hell of a year,” Marchand said. “Lot of ups and downs, but if I could categorize it, I'm just very grateful for all of it.”

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Florida Panthers' Brad Marchand (63) looks at referee Francois St Laurent (8) as he heads to the penalty box during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Karl DeBlaker)

Florida Panthers left wing Brad Marchand (63) celebrates his goal with teammates in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Rhona Wise)

Florida Panthers center Evan Rodrigues (17) and left wing Brad Marchand (63) celebrate their win against the Washington Capitals following an NHL hockey game, Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Rhona Wise)