Three points separate first from third. Eleven consecutive wins for a side no one believed in two months ago. And at the bottom, the worst start to a top-flight season in English football history. Matchday 18 delivered everything the Premier League does best.
The Top Three All Win – But Villa Steal The Show
Arsenal maintained their grip on the summit with a 2-1 victory over Brighton at the Emirates, Martin Odegaard opening the scoring before Georginio Rutter's own goal doubled their advantage. David Raya's late heroics denied Yankuba Minteh an equaliser as the Gunners held on despite injuries forcing Declan Rice into an emergency right-back role.
Manchester City kept the pressure on with a hard-fought 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest. Rayan Cherki proved the hero once again, scoring the winner in the 83rd minute after Omari Hutchinson had cancelled out Tijjani Reijnders' opener. Pep Guardiola was booked for his animated celebrations – a sign of just how much this victory meant.
But the weekend belonged to Aston Villa. Trailing 1-0 at Chelsea after a dominant Blues first half, Unai Emery made a triple substitution on 59 minutes that changed everything. Ollie Watkins came off the bench to score twice, the second a towering header seven minutes from time, as Villa equalled a 114-year-old club record with their 11th consecutive victory.
Liverpool Survive, Wolves Make History
Florian Wirtz finally opened his Liverpool account as the Reds beat bottom club Wolves 2-1 at Anfield. The German scored 60 seconds after Ryan Gravenberch's opener, but Santiago Bueno's second-half strike made for an uncomfortable final half hour.
For Wolves, the defeat extended their winless run to 18 Premier League matches – just two points from 54 available, the worst start to a top-flight season in English football history. Only Bolton Wanderers in 1902/03 waited longer for their first win of a campaign.
Around The Grounds
Brentford dismantled Bournemouth 4-1, extending the Cherries' winless run to nine matches. Kevin Schade scored twice as the Bees moved up to 12th. Fulham won 1-0 at West Ham through Raul Jimenez's late strike, while Burnley and Everton played out a goalless stalemate at Turf Moor.
On Sunday, Sunderland and Leeds shared the points in a 1-1 draw, with Granit Xhaka and Dominic Calvert-Lewin trading goals. Tottenham closed the weekend with a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace, Archie Gray's first senior goal easing the pressure on Thomas Frank.
The Title Picture
As 2025 draws to a close, the Premier League standings make for fascinating reading:
- Arsenal – 42 points (1st)
- Manchester City – 40 points (2nd)
- Aston Villa – 39 points (3rd)
- Liverpool – 32 points (4th)
- Chelsea – 29 points (5th)
Villa travel to Arsenal on Tuesday in what could be the defining fixture of the festive period. Win at the Emirates, and Emery's men would move level with the leaders. The title race has never been tighter.
