However, as we go into the Christmas period, Arsenal sit just six points behind league leaders Chelsea, and still have a game in hand. So they are still in with a chance of landing the title.
If they are to be in with a shot of remaining in the title race, they will need to keep up with Chelsea and Manchester United by claiming three points from Aston Villa.
And Arsenal's Russian midfielder Andrei Arshavin is determined to make sure they do so. Arshavin's goals have softened the loss of Robin van Persie's injury, although he admits it has been a struggle to adjust to the Premier League.
"I expected before I moved to England, if you are a good player if you play for a big team it is easier," he told Sky Sports News.
"But even if you play against Burnley or Wolverhampton, it is not easy - you don't have time to turn or do any dribbling, if you get two touches you're lucky.
"We have had some chances to be very close to the top but we have not taken them so I am a little disappointed. But now if we win games in hand we are still in the race but at the same time we cannot lose more points."
Strategy: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will have little concerns about his tactics after watching his side brush Hull City aside. The Gunners won 3-0 last weekend but Wenger is likely to make changes. Mikael Silvestre is expected to keep his place in defence, while captain Cesc Fabregas is hopeful of returning to the midfield.
The Arsenal captain has been suffering from a hamstring injury but has now recovered. His return will be a great boost to Wenger, as the Spain international is a pivotal figure in his fluid formation. Theo Walcott is also expected to be handed a starting berth at the expense of Samir Nasri.
Injury Update: Fabregas' return will be welcomed by Wenger, who still has a busy treatment room. Tomas Rosicky is still sidelined by a groin strain, while Kieran Gibbs (foot) and van Persie (ankle) are not expected back for some weeks. Gael Clichy (back) and Nicklas Bendtner (hernia) are also still missing.
ASTON VILLA:
Martin O'Neill is not one for playing mind games, so his insistence that Arsenal can win the Premier League this season should be taken as genuine respect for the challenge that Wenger's side provide for his upwardly-mobile team.
The Aston Villa manager has a long memory, but does not need to cast his mind back too far to last season, when everyone was tipping his own team to oust Arsenal from the Champions League places.
The manner in which his players self-destructed and Arsenal strung together an impressive undefeated run over the second half of the season is still vivid.
"Arsenal were supposed to be imploding last season and everyone was telling us that we were going to get fourth place in the Premier League," said O'Neill.
"I said at the time that maybe some people were getting a wee bit carried away. I was not one of them and that is the same now.
"Arsenal can win the league. That is how strong I feel they are. They might not have the physical strength of that great team that went undefeated in a season, but they have the players with great technical ability to cope with that.
"What we have done this season is show that we are capable of beating some of the big teams, but the key to really kicking on is to do that on a regular basis.
"Consistency is what the big teams do. They show that they can win when maybe they are not at their best and we have to try to learn that habit.
Strategy: O'Neill has been blessed in recent weeks of finding a formula that has worked and he has been happy not to chop and change his line up. He has been notoriously reluctant to rotate his squad, but he accepts that he is entering into a phase of the season which could call for some selective selections.
The most intriguing aspect of this encounter will be how his quartet of technically-gifted midfield players stand up against their opposite numbers. If James Milner, Stewart Downing, Stiliyan Petrov and Ashley Young have a big day, then another key victory in the quest for a top four finish this season could be achieved.
Injury Update: Emile Heskey has not recovered from the groin injury he sustained in the 1-0 win over Stoke, so John Carew will deputise alongside Gabriel Agbonlahor. Curtis Davies is back in training after a shoulder operation and should be available in the New Year.
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