Thierry Henry names the Premier League player and manager he's been most impressed by this season as Arsenal legend reveals surprise youngster he enjoys watching

Three points separates the top three clubs as we head into the busy festive fixture period and the tight margins mean that any slip-up could be extra costly, adding to the drama as the season progresses. Other traditional powerhouses like Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United are also in the mix for European places, but are all short of the consistency being shown by the top three at this stage.

A significant story has been the performance of Aston Villa under manager Unai Emery. The Spaniard has done a remarkable job, transforming the club from a position just above the relegation zone in November 2022 to genuine title contenders. 

Emery's side have shown incredible resilience, demonstrated by their ability to win games after falling behind, and only Arsenal and Manchester City have accumulated more points in the Premier League in the 2025 calendar year. His success has led to growing talk of his pedigree and status as one of the world's best managers, with the team currently sitting in a strong position in the league.

In his Betway column, Henry revealed that Emery is the manager that has impressed him the most so far. He explained: "I have to give Unai Emery a lot of credit because, come on, no one saw that coming. The results Villa were getting, they looked lost. They looked like they were not going to be at it. We were looking at it like, is this going to be the end? But, wow, you have to give Emery his credit. He always finds a way.

"In three months, we might be saying they went south again. But at this particular moment, the way put everyone back together, he stayed focused and worked really hard. I’m impressed with the way they stayed united, because I couldn’t see that coming."

Premier League champions Liverpool have been poor this season as a number of boss Arne Slot’s new summer signings have struggled to adapt to life at Anfield. But one player who has caught Henry’s eye is Hugo Ekitike and he believes the £79 million (£105m) signing from Eintracht Frankfurt is the best new arrival this season. 

Henry said: "I’ll go with with Hugo Ekitike, because at the beginning, he had to prove that he could be at Liverpool, and he did. Now the club is struggling and he’s still delivering. He surprised me. I knew he had that in his locker, but I didn’t know it was going to be that quick in terms of how he adapted. Of course, it’s easier to adapt when a team is rolling. But he adapted, then he went on the bench, didn’t say anything, came back and still scores his goals, so you have to put him up there."

The festive Premier League schedule promises to be a frenetic, potentially decisive period for the title race. Manchester City's campaign includes a tricky home tie against West Ham on Saturday, with Forest and Sunderland in the following week before an explosive clash with Chelsea on January 4th. Arsenal face a challenging Christmas and New Year period, beginning with an away trip to Everton at the Toffees' new stadium. The Gunners then host Brighton, before a blockbuster showdown against Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on December 30th. Emery will be desperate for his team to maintain their title push against the club where he was sacked after a disappointing 18 month spell in charge between May 2018 and November 2019.