Our King of Brazil Powers Arsenal's Statement Victory Over Villa 

Our Brazilian wall is back as Arsenal played with the shackles off and open play goals flowed

Charlie Ashmore - aka The View From Block 99 - shares his must-read verdict after rampant Arsenal routed sorry Villa at the Emirates in the Gunners final game of 2025. 

1 - That’s a big win….a statement win if you like

No arguments. The difference between winning and losing last night was huge. 

Lose and we would be slap bang in the middle of a three horse race with Manchester City taking pole position when they inevitably beat an AFCON ravaged Sunderland on Thursday. 

Instead Aston Villa have been put back in their box and City spend a couple of days looking at a five point gap. 

These are the sort of games teams with title ambitions have to win. At half time the pressure was on. A team that had underperformed in recent matches, was struggling to score, was clearly missing its midfield general in Declan Rice had offered up opportunities on the break whilst spurning a couple of decent chances at the other end. 

A first half had seen the visitors spoil the game, helped by one of the weakest refereeing performances I have seen in a long time. 

Where we needed an iron fist in black we got a limp handshake which resulted in the ball being in play for just 24 minutes, a fact which as much as the result shows up just how fanciful were the title claims of a Villa who have been massively overperforming since their hapless start to the season. 

It’s the sort of situation that would in previous seasons have defeated us. 

We would have been sidetracked by perceived injustices but as I have said previously this season we are refusing to be deflected from our ultimate purpose and that second half was a perfect response to the pressure that was building. 

We took the game by the scruff of the neck and refused to let go until it was way past over.

2 - Our Brazilian wall is back

It was no coincidence to me that the game we lost to Villa was one in which neither Gabriel nor William Saliba played. 

As I wrote at the time it affected the rest of the team and as a result our performance. 

So how good was it to see them back in harness doing what they do best defensively. 

It is no criticism of the likes of Jurrien Timber, Christhian Mosquera, Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori to say that we look more secure with these two playing – they are the best defensive pairing in football at the moment. And then there’s Big Gabi’s contribution up from at set pieces. 

Honestly, how funny was it to see Emi Martinez so worried about Gabriel that he forgot what his job was – namely to catch the ball. 

His half-hearted appeal for a foul was mere deflection and you could tell he didn’t believe in it. 

That moment lit the fuse and the stadium exploded with relief and into joy. 

It wasn’t long thereafter that the game was done but do not underestimate the contribution the King of Brazil made to the victory.

3 - The shackles were off and the open play goals flowed

Suddenly it was free flowing football all round and everyone joined in. 

Martin Odegaard again produced magnificence.  His through ball to Martin Zubimendi was a thing of beauty (as was the clipped finish) but his overall contribution was superb. 

Leo Trossard continues his season long purple patch – that finish was sublime but so was much of his play.  Jesus needed just two fantastic touches to announce his return with a stunning finish. Bukayo Saka could have added more but his scoring boots have deserted him for now. Viktor Gyokeres contributed in that busy bustly way of his but he could really have done with one of those first half headers going in.  

Mikel Merino was excellent (albeit lucky to avoid a second yellow). Hincapie and Timber overlapped to great effect and it was such a shame the former kicked fresh air when he had galloped the length of the filed to be on the end of a slide rule pass from the skipper. 

This, my friends. This. We want more of this, much more. 

4 - There are some footballers whose very presence provokes abuse

I make no apology for (to use my daughter’s favourite expression) rage-baiting the imbecile who keeps goal for Villa. 

Whatever the reports about his niceness off the pitch, in it he is a complete and utter ****. 

His timewasting from the very start of the game was pathetic. 

His constant whingeing was pathetic. His effort to prevent the first goal was pathetic. He cut a sorry figure late in the game when alone in his half he was serenaded with a request to update the crowd as to the score.

And when Raya pulled off that remarkable save at the end the crowd pointed out that Raya was better than him before describing him as a **** David Raya.  Marvellous stuff. 

Did it get to him? Oh yes….just watch the footage circulating of him going down the tunnel and having to be dragged away before he embarrassed himself any more. 

World’s number 1? World’s biggest c***, more like. 

5 - That last 15 minutes, and the crowd’s part in it…

OK I know we were 4-0 up. I know it didn’t matter.  I know their goal was nothing more than compensation for a miserable evening. But….standards matter.  Standards are important. It’s all about the culture. That sort of switch off is what I expect from the England cricket team currently (see my article in the current issue of the Gooner here) not from Arsenal. 

And looking at Arteta while it unfolded I don’t think he was too impressed. And, do you know what started it?

We did. We, the fans. Not me, because I refuse to join in. But all those who started the “oles” as we passed the ball around at the back going deeper and deeper. 

I get that it’s funny to humiliate the opposition with the keep ball stuff, but the team switched off as a result and the goal was a direct result of it. 

If nothing else, forget standards and culture if you think that’s a bit pretentious from me about something irrelevant on the day, and think goal difference. 

We were level with Manchester City on goal difference at the time Villa scored. Had we continued to play with the same intensity that got us to 4-0, I have little doubt we would have scored more against a broken Villa team. 

Instead we lost a goal and fell behind again.

Every goal matters, folks.

So, think on next time you encourage the team to go into showboating mode rather than title challenger mode.

6 - Yes, for the second time in a week, I am claim an extra takeaway but….

It’s only to wish every single on of you, and those you love, a happy and healthy New Year – and hopefully a drought-ending title-winning one!