Sacrifices and commitment reflected in results: Arteta

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes his side are starting to see the benefits of their hard work, as the Gunners head into 2026 at the top of the English Premier League.

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The emphatic 4-1 win at home to title rivals Aston Villa on Dec 30 left Arsenal five points clear of second-placed Manchester City, who are away to Sunderland on New Year's Day in a match that took place after press time.

For Villa, it was an anticlimactic end to their club record-equalling 11-match winning streak.

Arsenal last won the Premier League back in 2004. Asked if this could be the season that they finally end more than two decades of title frustration, Arteta hailed his side’s “belief and energy”.

“We're playing every two and a half days, the schedule is very, very demanding. We have some very tough matches and injuries but the players are still winning, so winning helps all that,” he said.

“All the sacrifices and commitment that you put in gets reflected in results and great performances and that’s so satisfying.