Arsenal are five points clear at the top of the Premier League table and face Aston Villa on Saturday with Roy Keane making a bold prediction about the title race
Dylan James and Neil Docking
06:44, 05 Dec 2025
Viktor Gyokeres hasn’t lived up to expectations at Arsenal yet having scored only four Premier League goals(Image: Getty Images)
Arsenal can now turn their attention to this weekend’s clash against Unai Emery’s Aston Villa after securing a 2-0 midweek triumph over Brentford.
Having completed 14 fixtures, the North London side sit proudly at the top of the Premier League table with 33 points, holding a five-point advantage over Manchester City. While this represents positive news for Mikel Arteta’s side, Liverpool supporters understand how quickly a five-point cushion can evaporate against City’s relentless title charge.
The Gunners are currently enjoying a remarkable 18-match undefeated streak and will be eager to solidify their table-topping status ahead of the hectic festive fixture list when they face former manager Emery’s Villa. Here’s all the latest Arsenal news.
Viktor Gyokeres verdict
Viktor Gyökeres of Arsenal after returning against Chelsea(Image: 2025 Robin Jones)
Viktor Gyokeres has received an appraisal from ex-team-mate Martyn Waghorn, who discussed their shared spell at Coventry City.
The forward represented Coventry City from 2021 to 2023 before earning his significant transfer to Sporting Lisbon. Gyokeres has since established himself amongst the world’s top strikers, despite underwhelming at Arsenal since his £64m switch in the summer.
Speaking on the Under The Cosh podcast, as reported by CoventryLive, former team-mate Waghorn revealed Gyokeres “had eyes that made it look like he wanted to kill you”.
Despite this, he confessed that he never anticipated the Arsenal striker’s meteoric rise in such a short period, reports the Mirror.
When asked if he could have foreseen Gyokeres scooping up the best striker in Europe award four years later, Waghorn responded: “Errrm, mentality-wise, yes. He was a machine.
Viktor Gyokeres is fondly remembered at Coventry City(Image: Getty Images)
“Ability-wise at the time, no. Vik was unbelievable. Like everything he did, I could see him being a top striker. No way did I think within three years he’d be at Sporting, Champions League, whatever… But his drive and will to want to be, yeah, he was so focused. He was like, ‘I’m going to be the best,’ and I was like, ‘OK mate, whatever.'”.
On whether he believed him, Waghorn said: “Yes and no. He said it with that much conviction and when he trained he was evil. He had this look in his eyes like, ‘I’m going to kill you,’ and that’s how he trained. He’s mad but he believed in himself and yeah, incredible. And what a great guy as well. He’s a funny guy.
“But he trained like every day was f****** the last day he was going to play for you. And the gaffer is like, ‘we’ve f****** got a game tomorrow, Vik,’ and he’d say, ‘no, no, I’ve got to score five goals, I need to do this, do that…’ He was just relentless and it’s all down to hard work, in fairness to him. He was a machine.”
Roy Keane makes prediction
Roy Keane made his view clear to Ian Wright(Image: The Overlap)
Manchester United icon Roy Keane has made his thoughts known on the title race following the midweek Premier League matches.
Arteta’s pursuit of the title continued on Wednesday evening with a 2-0 victory over Brentford, thanks to goals from Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino. This win reinstated Arsenal’s five-point lead at the top of the table.
With Villa next on the agenda for Arteta, the title chase continues. However, speaking on The Overlap, Keane was clear about his prediction for the season.
Speaking to Arsenal legend Ian Wright, he said: “Your lot have got to win it. You’ve got to win the league this season. The league is over. It’s over. The league is over.”
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher also weighed in on the title race but offered a different perspective: “Your lot [Arsenal] have been so much better than everyone else. But Man City are still there, aren’t they? They haven’t even played that well but they’re still close. There’s a long way to go.”
Twins officially sign
Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta with Edwin (left) and Holder Quintero (right) as they sign pre-contract agreements(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal have officially announced they have reached an agreement for the double signing of Edwin and Holger Quintero from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle.
The 16-year-old South American talents will join Arsenal when they turn 18, having earned under-17 caps for Ecuador. They have been performing exceptionally well for their club and will significantly strengthen Arsenal’s youth academy when they join the squad in 2027.
In an official statement, Arsenal said: “Edwin is left-footed, quick and a skilful dribbler. He operates as a right winger, likes to take on opponents and has a catalogue of skills.
“Holger is a technically gifted, right-footed, attacking midfielder who links play with his progressive vision and also possesses the ability to beat opponents with quick feet.
“We will be collaborating closely with Independiente del Valle on the development and wellbeing of both Edwin and Holger until they arrive at Arsenal. Everyone at Arsenal is excited to welcome the Quintero twins to the club in the near future.”
