Contenders do whatever it takes to win as EPL title race heats up

WHEN in a title race, you will do whatever it takes to stay in it. That was exactly what transpired during the Boxing Day fixtures for Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa.

All three teams found ways to secure all three points and deliver festive cheer to their supporters.

The standout result came at Stamford Bridge, where Unai Emery’s tactical tweaks kept Villa firmly in the title conversation. The decisive moment arrived in the second half with the introduction of Ollie Watkins.

With just three goals in 17 league games prior, Watkins had endured a difficult season, but Emery’s faith was rewarded as he struck twice to extend Villa’s winning run.

Many pundits believe the next two fixtures will determine whether Villa are genuine title contenders.

Personally, there is no doubt – Villa are already in this race. Emery now leads his side to the Emirates full of confidence, and based on Arsenal’s performance against Brighton, Gunners fans have every right to feel nervous.

Arsenal started brightly against Brighton and controlled large spells of the match, but once again failed to put the game to bed. The third goal never came, and the tension inside the stadium grew.

While the first-half football was fluid and impressive, the inability to kill off matches could come back to haunt them if they are serious about staying at the top of the Premier League table.

That said, there is optimism, with several injured players nearing a return.

Arteta will soon have a full “arsenal” of options (pun intended) for the clash against Villa. It promises to be a fascinating encounter, especially given Emery’s strong record against his former club. Arteta needed to avenge the earlier results against Emery.

At the City Ground, City’s Rayan Cherki is making Florian Wirtz look like an expensive gamble. If the summer rumours are to be believed, City were keen on Wirtz but walked away after Bayer Leverkusen demanded more than £100mil.

Instead, City moved quickly for Cherki at just £30.9mil – a bargain by today’s standards.

Cherki has already delivered two goals and seven assists in 13 appearances. Against Nottingham Forest, he provided an assist before scoring the late winner to keep City within touching distance of Arsenal.

On current form, he looks like the natural heir to the creative role once occupied by Kevin De Bruyne. Cherki is two-footed and a joy to watch on a weekly basis. A true definition of poetry in motion.

It may be premature to label Wirtz a disappointment, but he is only now beginning to justify the hefty fee Liverpool paid for him. After 18 games, he finally opened his account for the club, ensuring Arne Slot’s side continued their winning run.

It was a nervy finish, but three points were all that mattered. That makes it three league wins in a row and five games unbeaten for Slot. The football may lack fluency, but results are king.

Slot appears to be channeling his inner Jose Mourinho – pragmatic, unspectacular, but effective. It is a stark contrast to the high-octane football seen under Juergen Klopp just a couple of years ago.

Slot is doing whatever it takes to get the result and keep his job.

Five games without a win is relegation form, and Bournemouth are feeling the pressure.

A heavy defeat at Brentford underlined the malaise surrounding the Cherries.

This was a side once tipped as a surprise European contender after a strong start to the season. Such is the brutality of the Premier League.

Andoni Iraola faces a huge task to stop the slide, because being dragged into a relegation battle could spell the end of his tenure on the south coast.

At Manchester United, Ruben Amorim continues to preach that hard work in training brings opportunity. That message rang true with Ayden Heaven, who delivered a composed, mature performance alongside Lisandro Martínez against Newcastle.

Remarkably, Heaven cost just £1.5mil and kept the far more expensive Leny Yoro on the bench. United edged a 1–0 win, with Heaven collecting the man of the match award.

Amorim will gladly take it since it is United’s first league victory since October. Attention now turns to a crucial fixture against bottom-placed Wolves.

With the New Year fixtures arriving thick and fast, there is no room for rest. Every point matters. Every mistake is punished. In a league as relentless as the Premier League, teams must do whatever it takes to win or risk being left behind.