Features
Ben Bloom 15 Dec 2025
We analyse the state of play at the top, with Arsenal, Man City and Villa separated by just three points
Football writer Ben Bloom assesses the Premier League title picture with Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa separated by just three points at the top of the table.
Already this season, the Premier League title race has twice seemed a foregone conclusion.
An unblemished record in their opening five games saw reigning champions Liverpool develop an early five-point lead over the chasing pack before the end of September, only for Arne Slot’s side to suddenly slide down the table.
Then, only a few weeks ago, Arsenal looked set to romp to glory with a six-point advantage at the summit.
Mikel Arteta’s side remain in first place, but their potential title march is proving nowhere near as serene as it might have looked, with the top three clubs now separated by just three points.
A draw against 10-man Chelsea and defeat at Aston Villa cut Arsenal’s advantage over second-placed Manchester City to just two points, before they required a last-ditch own goal – one of two they were gifted during the match – to see off bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend.
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City have scored at least three times while winning each of their past four Premier League matches, while Villa are on an extraordinary nine-game winning run across all competitions, including their last six in the league. It all suggests a potential three-way tussle for English football’s most coveted silverware.
In the 34-season history of the Premier League, this is only the 12th time that the top three clubs have been separated by as few as three points 16 games into the campaign.
Whether all three can sustain their challenge remains to be seen. On just three occasions (1998/99, 2007/08 and 2013/14) has the gap between the top three been less than seven points come the end of a season; in all three of those, first to third were separated by exactly four points. So will this one go down to the wire?