Arsenal's next five fixtures compared to Aston Villa and Man City as Premier League gap closes

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The Premier League title race has sparked to life once again, with Arsenal's last-gasp defeat to Aston Villa bursting it wide open at the top. The Gunners went behind in the first half, as Matty Cash gave the Villa Park faithful some hope of landing nine wins in their last ten.

Super-sub Leandro Trossard appeared to drag the visitors back into it, but there was a twist late in the tale. After a scramble in the box that Arsenal couldn't clear, Emiliano Buendia was alive to a loose ball, slamming home an effort that sent the home fans delirious.

That saw Aston Villa move within three points of Arsenal at the top, while opening up an opportunity to Manchester City . They capitalised in the game at 3pm, with goals from Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and Phil Foden securing an important three points over Sunderland .

Chelsea weren't quite able to make it count, making up just one point, with a less than tantalising 0-0 away at Bournemouth . It means just three points separate the top three, while the top four are separated by eight points.

So, with the Premier League title race seemingly wide open again, here's a look at the next five fixtures for all four sides ahead of another busy few weeks.

Wolves (H) - December 13

Everton (A) - December 20

Brighton (H) - December 27

Aston Villa (H) - December 30

Bournemouth (A) - January 3

Verdict: Arsenal have a mixed run of matches coming up, which will need to get them back on a run of winning form. Wolves at home appears to be a nice one to return with, but clashes with Everton , Brighton , Aston Villa, and Bournemouth are all capable of giving the Gunners a tough time if they aren't careful.

Crystal Palace (A) - December 14

West Ham (H) - December 20

Nottingham Forest (A) - December 27

Sunderland (A) - January 1

Chelsea (H) - January 4

Verdict: Manchester City will need to make the most of this run if they want to take the initiative in the Premier League title race. There are three tough away games coming up, which could cause problems, while a clash with Chelsea could provide another difficult day.

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West Ham (A) - December 14

Man United (H) - December 21

Chelsea (A) - December 27

Arsenal (A) - December 30

Nottingham Forest (H) - January 3

Verdict: Aston Villa may be surprise Premier League title contenders, but the run coming up will truly test them. Three tough fixtures on the bounce against Manchester United , Chelsea, and Arsenal will test if they can stick around with the others who are chasing after the title.

Everton (H) - December 13

Newcastle United (A) - December 20

Aston Villa (H) - December 27

Bournemouth (H) - December 30

Man City (A) - January 4