On 20/12, Man City crushed West Ham three-nil at home to temporarily take the top spot in round 17. A few hours later, Arsenal defeated hosts Everton one-nil to reclaim the lead.

Just one month ago, Arsenal had a seven-point lead over Man City. However, Pep Guardiola's side's five-game winning streak, coupled with Arsenal's slip-ups against Chelsea and Aston Villa, intensified the title race.

Despite this, Arteta stated his players remain unaffected by pressure from their direct rivals. "We don't look at that. I know the media does", he said after the Everton win. "The only thing we can control is our performance and our results. The Premier League is a long and extremely tough journey."

Coach Mikel Arteta (center) thanks fans after Arsenal's one-nil victory over Everton in Premier League round 17 at Hill Dickinson stadium, Vauxhall, England on 20/12. Photo: Arsenal FC

In the first half, Arsenal played cautiously, taking the lead from a penalty kick by Viktor Gyokeres. In the second half, the "Gunners" (Arsenal's nickname) increased their tempo but squandered opportunities to seal the match, with Leandro Trossard and Martin Zubimendi both hitting the post. The visitors also avoided a contentious situation when VAR reviewed a potential foul by William Saliba on Thierno Barry in the penalty area, before ultimately deciding not to award Everton a penalty.

Arteta viewed this narrow victory as a necessary lesson for the long title race. "The score should have been higher, but the important thing is that we keep winning and learn from the experience", the Spanish coach said. "Against opponents like this, if you don't score more goals, the game will always be tense."

The win against Everton ensures Arsenal will be top of the table for Christmas. On 23/12, Arsenal will return home to face Crystal Palace in the League Cup quarterfinals, then host Brighton in Premier League round 18 three days later. "We need to enjoy the winning process, both the good and difficult moments", Arteta emphasized. "Arsenal will take it one game at a time."

Meanwhile, Gyokeres expressed satisfaction at ending his five-game goal drought and helping Arsenal secure three important points. "Scoring and getting all three points always feels very good", he said. "When you're only leading one-nil, the game always carries tension. It would be better if we scored more goals to control the game. However, the most important thing is that Arsenal won."

By Hong Duy (via ESPN, Arsenal.com)