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Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal’s sacrifices are starting to pay off and his side will begin to take control of the Premier League title race in 2026.
The Gunners will go into the New Year top of the table after Tuesday’s game 4-1 win over Aston Villa On Emirates Airlines.
Arteta’s men put in an impressive second-half display to send a statement to the rest of the league as the north London side bid to end their 22-year wait for the title.
Asked whether victory against Unai Emery’s in-form Villa had boosted the team’s confidence in what could ultimately be their season, Arteta replied: “It’s belief, it’s energy because they put so much into it.
“We play every two and a half days, the schedule is very, very rigorous and we have some very tough games and injuries, but guys are still winning, so winning helps that.
“It’s very satisfying that all the sacrifice and commitment you put in shows up in the results and the outstanding performance, but we know there’s still a lot to do.
“It’s a good way to end the year, that’s for sure. We’ll have a great night (New Year’s Eve) with the family but the next day we’re going to Bournemouth (Saturday) and we know what that means.”
Arsenal recorded a four-goal win for the first time since beating Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium on November 23, after narrowly winning their previous three games against Wolves, Everton and Brighton.
Arsenal’s record at home is impressive, having dropped points in just one game so far – a 1-1 draw with Manchester City in September.
Martin Zubimendi, who along with Gabriel, Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Jesus scored for the rampaging hosts, said: “We needed this game.
“We are playing at home and we hope to end the year top of the table and play against Aston Villa, a great team who are tactically almost perfect, so we are very happy with the performance.
“We struggled a bit on the counterattack in the first half. At halftime we adjusted some moves and in the second half, when we scored the first and second goals, the game became very open and we ended up scoring four goals.”
“We noticed the willingness of the crowd, always pushing, always wanting more. They pushed us to score one, two, three and four, so we’re very happy for ourselves and for them.”
PA