After defeating Manchester United, Aston Villa is officially a serious title contender.

Aston Villa closed matchday 17 of the 2025/26 Premier League in spectacular fashion after overcoming a challenge from Manchester United. Playing at their home ground, Villa Park, on Sunday (21/12) evening WIB, the hosts secured a crucial 2-1 victory.

This win further strengthens The Villans' positive streak, now boasting seven consecutive wins in domestic football competitions. They have also extended their unbeaten run to 10 matches across all competitions this season.

The tightly contested match was only broken just before halftime. Morgan Rogers, a former Manchester City academy player, became the hero by scoring the opening goal in the 45th minute. Manchester United equalized through Matheus Cunha during first-half injury time (45+3'), making it 1-1.

However, Rogers struck again against the Red Devils in the 57th minute, securing the win for Aston Villa. The team managed by Ruben Amorim failed to find an equalizer before the final whistle.

This result has significant implications for the league table. Aston Villa now firmly occupies third place with 36 points, just one point behind second-placed Manchester City and three points behind leaders Arsenal. Villa are guaranteed to spend Christmas in the top three.

Conversely, the defeat caused Manchester United to slip to seventh place with 26 points, level with Crystal Palace below them.

Intense Competition at the Top

In other matches, the battle at the top of the table intensified. Manchester City successfully maintained pressure with a 3-0 win over West Ham United, while Arsenal remained at the summit.

Chelsea had to settle for a point after a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United, leaving them stuck in fourth place with 29 points. They only lead on goal difference over fifth-placed Liverpool, who secured a 2-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur.

Matchweek 17 still has one fixture remaining between Fulham and Nottingham Forest, scheduled for Tuesday (22/12) early morning WIB.

Full Results and Standings for Matchweek 17 of the 2025/26 Premier League

• Newcastle United 2-2 Chelsea
• Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-2 Brentford
• Manchester City 3-0 West Ham United
• Brighton & Hove Albion 0-0 Sunderland
• Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Liverpool
• Bournemouth 1-1 Burnley
• Leeds United 4-1 Crystal Palace
• Everton 0-1 Arsenal
• Aston Villa 2-1 Manchester United

Premier League Top 15 Standings, 22/12/2025