Home of football statistics and historyThough we’re only 12 rounds into the 2025/26 Premier League season, Arsenal appear to be already waltzing away with the title.
Mikel Arteta’s men have gone from strength to strength in the early stages of the campaign, suffering just one defeat so far.
With the rest of the chasing pack struggling with consistency, the Gunners have already opened a six-point gap at the top of the table.
Heavily fancied to halt their exhausting two-decade title drought, Arsenal have established themselves as odds-on favourites to dethrone Liverpool.
Adding to this sentiment, many leading bookmakers including Betting-Malaysia.online price the North London powerhouse at 1.4 to lift the crown, with second-favourites Manchester City trailing the Gunners at 4.33.
On that basis, the title is Arsenal’s to lose, yet the Gunners’ credentials will face a stern test at the beginning of December as they head to Villa Park to take on top-four hopefuls Aston Villa.
Without further ado, let’s look at the five Premier League fixtures to keep an eye on next month.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal – 06/12/2025
Unai Emery has rebuilt Villa’s home fortress, with the Lions racking up four consecutive league victories in Birmingham, three of which produced multi-goal margins.
Villa can draw further confidence from the fact that they’ve toppled Arsenal in two of their last four Premier League meetings, though the only loss in that sequence came in the corresponding fixture in 2024/25.
Indeed, Emery’s men have lost three of their last four home league matches against the Gunners, highlighting how hard it has been to turn Villa Park into an advantage against the perennial runners-up.
While preparing for a brutal December schedule, Arsenal are keeping close tabs on the market, with Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior emerging as a potential target for the Emirates outfit (via Fichajes).
Newcastle United vs Chelsea – 20/12/2025
St James’ Park forms the backdrop for one of the most exciting Premier League fixtures in December as resurgent Newcastle United take on surprise title contenders Chelsea.
Eddie Howe’s side reaffirmed their top-four credentials last weekend with a stunning 2-1 home win over Man City, extending their winning home league streak to three games.
Chelsea will be out to knock the Magpies off their perch after closing the gap to table-topping Arsenal to six points on the back of three successive league victories.
In addition to their impressive domestic form, Enzo Maresca’s team humbled Barcelona 3-0 in their last Champions League outing, proving their ability to thrive in high-stakes duels.
Tottenham vs Liverpool – 20/12/2025
This showdown could determine the fate of the two managers.
Despite his decent start to life, Thomas Frank has not been an upgrade on his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, already casting doubt on his long-term future in North London.
As for Arne Slot, he has become one of the least favourite figures at Anfield less than six months after inspiring Liverpool to their landmark 20th title in England’s top flight.
With the Reds already out of the title picture after losing six of their opening 12 league games, Slot could be staring down the barrel of an early-season sacking.
Aston Villa vs Manchester United – 21/12/2025
Speaking of managers in trouble, Ruben Amorim has once again come under heavy scrutiny as Everton stunned Old Trafford into silence on Monday, ending Manchester United’s five-game unbeaten league run.
Amorim cut a ‘frustrated’ character as his side lost precious ground on the top four, falling three points behind none other than Villa, a side they’ve beaten in four of their last five league clashes.
However, whether this downtrodden Man Utd side can breach Villa’s revitalised home stronghold remains uncertain.
Still, there’s no doubt that the Red Devils will have to deliver one of their best performances of the season to walk away unscathed.
Manchester United vs Newcastle United – 26/12/2025
Another stern test of Man Utd’s top-four credentials arrives on Boxing Day when they face off against Newcastle at Old Trafford.
Back-to-back multi-goal margin defeats against the Magpies paint a bleak picture for Amorim, whose job could be on the line here.
After slumping to a 2-0 defeat in the corresponding fixture last season, the Red Devils are at risk of losing consecutive home games against Newcastle for the first time in the 21st century.
With his Old Trafford future hanging by a thread, Amorim can ill-afford to add another chapter to a history Man Utd fans would rather forget.
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